Forgotten Flower
by Awesome Rapidash
Summary: This story is based on the DS version. It's a hot summer day in Forget Me Not Valley and Jewel has something in mind to keep everyone cool, a day at the beach! Please read and review. Ch. 16 is up. Jack x Flora
1. The Mine

_**A/N:**__ This story is based on the Harvest Moon DS version. I know that Flora is one of the eligible bachelorettes but she seems to be largely ignored in Fanfiction. So with that in mind I began to write a story were she plays a major role. I Hope you like it! _

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I don't own Harvest Moon, Natsume does._

_**Chapter 1: Discovery at the Mine**_

A light snow wafted down from a leaden sky, covering the landscape in a white wintry blanket. From the warmth and comfort of his farmhouse, Jack gazed out the window as nature covered his farm in snow. Soft meows filled his ears causing the brown haired farmer to avert his view downward. There he found his pet cat Angel circling his feet. Reaching down he picked up the purring feline and held her gently his arms.

"Isn't the falling snow pretty?" he cooed softly while gently stroking the calico colored fur of his feline friend.

Her sweet meows answered his question.

Jack continued to watch the snow fall for several minutes more before putting Angel down and walked over to the kitchen table, taking a seat. The young farmer scratched his head for a moment, musing what to do for the remainder of the day.

"Hm… now what should we do?" he said aloud. "Now that it's winter here in the valley, there isn't much for me to do once I finish tending to the animals."

Angel gave her owner a somewhat quizzical look before heading over to her favorite pillow and lying down for a nap.

Jack's wandering thoughts returned to the farm and what to do for the remainder of the day. It only seemed a short time since spring when he'd left his cramped apartment back in Century City to come to Forget Me Not Valley. He'd left his dead end job in an accounting office to rejuvenate an old farm he'd seen advertised in the classified section of the newspaper.

Now after just three seasons he had made what he'd considered good progress. It was hard to believe that in spite of a distinct lack of knowledge in the field of agriculture, he'd actually been able to plant and harvest crops, and to that the coop full of lively, egg laying chickens and the healthy animals currently relaxing out in the barn. Not too shabby for a kid who'd grown up in a totally urban environment!

However now, the cold and snow of the winter season dominated the weather in the valley, making planting crops and foraging no longer viable options. He got up and walked over to the kitchen to make a mug of hot chocolate for himself. It was at that moment that a curious thought entered his mind.

"_Didn't Takakura tell me some time ago that there was a mine on the far side of the valley?"_ he mused to himself. _"Yeah he did, and if I remember correctly he said something about being able to dig for ores that I can sell there." _

With the idea fresh in his mind, Jack decided that a trip to the far side of the valley might just be a good way to spend the rest of the day. After all, what did he have to lose? Once he finished the remainder of his cocoa, he put his jacket and boots on and walked out into the chilly winter air. He walked out the gate of his farm and headed towards the far end of the valley to find the mine.

Jack walked quickly through the quiet town wondering what sort of ores he would find and just how much money he might be able to get. After crossing the plain wooden bridge that spanned the small now frozen stream he glanced to the left, there stood Vesta's farm. He had to admit that he admired the work that Vesta and her family put into the farm. Their crops always seemed to be so vibrant and full of life! This farm was also the home of one of Forget Me Not Valley's eligible bachelorettes.

He'd met Celia shortly after arriving in the valley when he'd stopped by her farm to buy some seeds from her mother. She seemed like a kind and hard working girl, but Jack had to admit that even though he'd made regular stops by the farm to purchase more seeds, he had really not gotten to know her.

After a few more moments he continued on along the snow covered pathway. At the windmill farm he turned left and followed the pathway towards the hills on the horizon. The recent snowfall had made the pathway a bit treacherous, and fifteen minutes later he arrived at what he figured must be the mine. A quick look around and he is surprised to find a large tent set up just outside the entrance. The farmer walked over to investigate, but found no one around.

"I wonder if they're inside the mine?" he mused curiously as looked at the fresh footsteps in the snow that lead away from the canvas structure. Deciding that was the case, he headed towards the entrance of the mine.

The brown haired young man opened the door and entered the mine cautiously, expecting to find the inside it to be dark and dreary. To his surprise, instead he found that it was dry and well lit.

"Well I must say, this isn't what I had expected to find," he chirped aloud before walking further into the excavation.

As he looked around the area just inside the mine he hears a girl's voice coming from outside the mines entrance and from what he could tell, she seemed to be looking for someone. A moment later she burst unexpectedly through the mine's entrance and into Jack's view.

After getting over the initial shock of her abrupt entrance, the farmer began to take notice of her appearance. She appeared to be close to the same age and height as he was. Her long sandy blond hair was held behind her head in a loose ponytail by a small orange colored ribbon. She was clad in a green shirt and off white shorts. Her eyes appeared to be violet in color but he really can't tell due to the way the lights were reflecting off her glasses. Heavy hiking type boots completed the woman's ensemble.

She looked over in Jack's direction causing the farmer to gulp nervously, her expression gave him the distinct impression that she didn't seem to be in the mood for a friendly chat!

"Hey you with the brown hair, come over here right now!"

Jack gulped again and headed quickly over to where the blond was standing. "I'm sorry if I was trespassing. I was looking for the mine where I can dig for ores and stuff."

"No, that's not it, you're not trespassing or anything," she replied quickly. "It's just that I saw someone sneaking around the tent and I wanted to see what they wanted," she added while clenching her fists angrily.

The farmer gulped again. "Um… that might have been me that you saw. I was looking around to see if anyone was here. Sorry if I spooked you."

"Hm… are you sure about that?" the girl questioned cautiously. "Perhaps the person I saw wasn't you and there is someone else lurking around outside."

Jack nodded. "So how about I go with you and together we check it out? There's strength in numbers you know."

The bi-speckled girl shook her head in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea. And if anyone is out there lurking, I'm going to let em have it!" she added, holding out her clenched fist.

The farmer shook his head. "Now let's go and find out if someone else is around."

Together they walked out of the mine and began to scout the area around the entrance to the mine. They also checked around and behind the tent as well as the pathway leading up to the mine. The through search finds no one other them in the area. Satisfied that no one else is around, the blond haired girl relaxed a bit.

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized softly. "But since Carter wasn't here I got a little spooked."

"Really, you were scared?" Jack chuckled in a slightly surprised voice. "The way you charged into the mine I thought that you were going to kill me! Um, who's Carter?"

"He's a Professor of archeology at the university in Glacier City," the girl began. "He is in charge of the excavation site. I'm his apprentice, helping him with the excavation and keeping records of what is found here in the mine." A smile filled the blonde's face. "My name is Flora by the way."

"I'm Jack; it's nice to meet you Flora. So you're studying archeology under Carter then?"

"I guess you could say that," Flora answered as she walked over to a table set up to the right of the mine's entrance. "Sadly I think in Professor Carter's eyes I'm more of helper than a student. What do you do here in the valley?"

"I run a farm on the far side of the valley," Jack answered proudly. "I'm in the process of renovating it."

"You're a farmer, then why did you come here?"

"Well to be quite honest, there isn't much to do now that it's the winter season and I remembered Takakura telling me about this place so I thought now would be a good time to come and check it out," Jack explained.

"So now that you've seen it, what do you think?" Flora asked curiously.

"I have to say that I'm surprised by what I see. Normally when you think of a mine you get a picture of a dark and dingy place and men with lighted helmets and soot covered faces. But that's certainly not the case here, it's nicely lit and for a mine I have to say that it's pretty clean," the farmer replied in a positive tone.

"Thank you, your compliments mean a lot!" Flora replied happily. "Both Professor Carter and I try to keep everything as neat as possible."

Jack walked over to the table and stood next to the young archeologist. "Um, as my apology for spooking you earlier, how about letting me buy you a drink at the Blue Bar?"

Flora smiled."You know, that sounds like a nice idea. Just let me leave a note for the Professor so that he knows that he needs to make dinner for himself and not to wait for me."

Once the note was completed, Jack followed Flora out of the mine and watched as she walked over to the tent. Jack followed her and waited outside for her to finish. She reemerged form the tent several minutes later and they headed down the pathway towards the local drinking establishment.

As they continued along the snow covered pathway Jack glanced over at the blond haired girl next to him. "Have you been studying archeology for a long time?"

"No, not really in fact, I've only just started my education," Flora replied plainly. "But I have to say that I really enjoy it. I find it so interesting to unearth things and try and figure out what they are and how they got to be buried in a mine."

"Hm… that does sound quite interesting." Jack replied. "Will you eventually go back to school to complete your degree?"

"I don't know about that right now," the blond answered sullenly. "It mostly depends on how things turn out here."

They arrived at the Blue Bar a few minutes later and Jack held the door open, allowing Flora to walk in.

As they took a seat at the bar Muffy, the bubbly hostess, walked over to them and smiled. "Hi Jack!" she giggled happily. "Long time no see! What can I get for you?"

"Hi Muffy, I'll have a draft beer."

The barmaid nodded and turned her attention to the blond next to him."What would you like this evening Flora?" the blonde barmaid questioned curiously.

"I'd like a glass of red wine please."

"Great! I'll get that right up!" Muffy replied happily, turning back towards were Griffin was preparing all manner of alcoholic concoctions.

"So Jack, have you been a farmer long?"

"No I haven't. In fact at this time last year I was still a fully fledged city boy! I've only been at this whole farming gig for three seasons."

"I see, so it seems that we're both just beginners," Flora said with a chuckle.

"It sure seems that way doesn't it."

Muffy returned a moment later and with a smile she placed their drinks on the bar in front of them. "Please enjoy yourselves and if you need anything, just let me know!" She giggled happily before walking away.

Jack picked up his glass and held it up to the girl next to him. "Here's to two beginners, may we find a future in what we do!"

"I'll drink to that," Flora replied as she touched her glass to Jack's. "Cheers!"

For the next several hours Jack and Flora drank and chatted about life in the city and life here in the valley. Finally Flora looked at the watch on her left wrist.

"Oh wow, look at the time, it's late and I really should be getting back home."

"Wow, time sure flies by when you're having fun!" Jack exclaimed. "If you'd like I'll walk you back to the mine."

"Thank you Jack that would be nice of you," Flora answered with a grin.

As they headed down the moonlit pathway back to the mine Flora seemed a bit apprehensive about something.

"Um, is there something bothering you Flora?"

"It's nothing Jack. I… I just don't like the dark," Flora answered softly.

They continued down the slick snowy path but picked up the pace a little after a while. They reached Flora's tent a few minutes later.

"Thank you for walking me home Jack, I really wasn't looking forward to coming home alone in the dark. If you have time tomorrow and would like, please stop by for a visit and I'll show you how some basic excavation techniques."

"That sounds like fun, you can count me in!" Jack replied with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, would after lunch be alright?"

Flora nodded. 'Sure, that's fine. I'll be at the mine all day."

Jack smiled back. "Good night Flora!"

"Good night Jack!"

As the brown haired young man headed back towards his farm a thought entered his mind. "_Flora seems like a nice girl. I hope we can become better friends." _

_First chapter complete! What do you think? Please write a review and let me know. Thanks! _


	2. Learning to Excavate

_Thank you to all who have taken a moment to review.__** xoxReneeOrionxox, hmpenguin4, Kelley 28, like red on a rose, pink-kiss-candy, Baby bear, Lyoko Genex, and Poncho D. **__I love hearing what you all have to say! _

_Now to answer some questions:_

_**like red on a rose**__: I honestly never thought about that! But I guess I'd explain it as he probably saw her, but really didn't take notice of her since he was interested in the other girls at the time. Thanks for pointing that out to me._

_**Baby bear**__: Yep, she doesn't really like the dark and that's why the mine is kept so well lit. _

_**Disclaimer:**__ Nope not mine! _

_**Chapter 2: Learning to Excavate**_

Jack woke the following morning to Angel's pleading meows. Opening his eyes he saw his hungry feline friend pacing back and forth next to her empty food dish.

"Okay, okay sweetie, I'm coming." He pushed off the soft blue comforter and swung his legs out of the warm bed. "Burr, it's a little chilly this morning," he added with a slight shiver.

After feeding Angel and checking to make sure her water bowl was filled he set about preparing his own breakfast, scrambled eggs and bacon and white toast and grape jam on the side.

Sitting down at the table to eat Jack began to think about the events of the prior day. Angel joined him a moment later, lying down on the chair next to her owner. Jack smiled as he glanced over at his feline friend. "I wonder… if Flora likes cats."

Angel gave him a sleepy gaze momentarily before putting her head down on her paws for a nap.

With breakfast finished and the dishes washed, the young farmer got his coat off the rack and prepared to head out to the barn to care and feed his animals. His chores use up most of the morning.

Returning to the house just before noon Jack walked inside and headed over to his tool box. After taking a moment to think, he opened the chest and removed his hoe and hammer."I'm pretty sure it was these tools Flora told me to bring."

After putting the implements in his backpack he headed back towards the door, stopping before heading back out into the cold. "Stay out of trouble while I'm gone," the farmer instructed his feline friend, who instead simply ignored her owner and continued to catnap.

Walking towards the mine he saw Nami, another of Forget Me Not Valley's most eligible girls. As the introverted redhead approached he considered her for a moment. While she was pleasant to talk to once you get to know her, she did have a way of shutting out whatever she didn't want to hear. The emo silent type was most defiantly not for him.

They nodded a brief greeting to each other as they silently passed each other.

It took even longer to walk to the mines today thanks to the fresh blanket of newly fallen snow now covering the pathway and making it slick going for the farmer. He finally made it to the mine just after one in the afternoon. Walking inside he found Flora working in the far right hand corner of the mine.

He also noticed an older portly man standing just to the right of the blond. Both had their backs towards him and at first, didn't notice that he was there. _"Hm… that must be that Professor that Flora was telling me about yesterday," _Jack thought.

"Um… excuse me; I hope that I'm not disturbing some new discovery or anything"

Both stood and turned to face the farmer. "Oh, hello, you must be Jack," the elder man said in a robust voice as he extended his hand in greeting. "Flora told me that you run a farm in the valley and that you might come by today for a demonstration. I'm Professor Carter, pleased to meet you."

Jack accepted the man's hand and shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you Professor."

"Please, there is no need for such formalities, just call me Carter."

Flora grinned and greeted the farmer. "Hi Jack, so did you come today for a demonstration?"

"Yes I did, I even remembered to bring my hoe and hammer, just like you instructed me to do."

Flora nodded with approval. "It's nice that you pay such close attention to details, that's important when excavating for artifacts," the girl added as she picked up a small brush from a table next to where Carter was sitting.

"Really, are they that delicate?"

"Some are. We make sure to use the utmost care with everything just to be on the safe side that's all," the young blond replied.

A look of slight confusion filled the brown haired farmer's face as he reached into his backpack and pulled out his hoe. "So if that's the case, why did you ask me to bring this?"

"Because before you can look for artifacts, you first need to remove the soil covering them." Flora began to explain. "And for that task you can use your hoe."

Flora then directed the farmer over to a different area of the mine. "Please carefully remove the soil in this area," she instructed, pointing to an area in front of them. "If you find something, let me know right away."

Jack nodded and carefully began the task of removing the dirt from the area in front of him. The loose dirt was easily moved and soon he saw something poking out of the ground in front of him.

"Hey Flora, can you come over here. I think I've found something! Come and have a look see at it."

The blond haired girl quickly walked over to where the farmer was and looked down at what he was pointing at. She squatted down and after adjusting her glasses a bit she began to examine the object with interest.

"Ah, this looks interesting! Alright Jack, now I'll show you the next step in excavating artifacts." She then got up and walked over to a small table just a few feet away from them. She returned with a small metallic shovel and several different sized bristle brushes.

Kneeling down she motioned for Jack to join her. "First thing we need to do is use the small shovel to remove the rest of the soil from around the object."

Jack watched intently as Flora carefully removed the dirt from the area immediately around the object. It took her almost ten minutes to complete the task.

"Now that we have most of the dirt removed, we can use these brushes to clear the rest without damaging the artifact," she said as she picked up a medium sized brush and began to gently sweep away the remaining dirt. After another fifteen minutes she is finished with that step.

Curious about the commotion, Carter walked over and joins them. "What have you found Jack?"

"I'm not quite sure yet," the farmer replied. "Flora's still helping me to remove it."

Carter nodded and looked over Flora's shoulder. "Can you tell what it is yet Flora?"

"Well, from what I can tell, it appears to be a red ruby broach. I'll know for sure in a few more minutes, I've just about got it completely uncovered."

Jack squatted down and leaned a little closer to Flora as she removed the last of the dirt covering the object.

"Wow, it sure is interesting!" Jack chirped as Flora removed the item and placed it onto a nearby table along with some assorted tools and a large well worn book.

Flora placed the broach on the table and after flipping thru several dozen pages she stopped and compared the item to a photo in the book. "It's just as I though, it's a red ruby broach."

"Um… is that a good thing?"

"It most certainly is," Flora answered with a smile. "You have two choices with it. You can either sell for a nice profit. Or it can be given to someone as a gift. Either way is good."

Carter picked up the broach and began to carefully examine. "Yes, yes, this specimen is in very good condition, you should be able to easily get at least 2000G for it."

"You're kidding me right? I can get 2000G for that? It would take me the better part of a season to earn that much. Now you're telling me that I can get 2000G for a couple of hours of work."

Flora grinned happily at the farmer's reaction. It pleased her to no end that someone actually found excavating and working in the mine fun, or at least that's what she hoped.

For the remainder of the afternoon Jack and Flora worked together, finding and unearthing several more pieces of jewelry in the process. Much to the delight of the cash strapped farmer.

As they worked on freeing the final piece, Jack paused for a moment and looked over at the blond haired girl working next to him. He grinned at the dirt and sweat that now smudged her face and clothes. She took notice of his gaze and stops working.

"Is there something wrong Jack? Why are you staring at me?"

"No, there is nothing wrong. It's just… well, I don't know very many girls that would be as willing to get as dirty as you are right now and not be screaming hysterically about it," Jack remarked.

"I see. Well it's not that I like to get dirty and sweaty; it's just a part of the job. Does seeing a girl with dirt on her bother you Jack?"

"No, no. not at all, It's just kind of unusual that's all. It doesn't bother me at all."

Flora raised her eyebrow curiously causing the farmer to stammer. "I… uh, I didn't mean that…"

"It's alright Jack, I know what you meant. Don't worry about it because it doesn't bother me one bit."

A smile crossed Jack's face as he helped the blond archeologist finish removing the dirt from his latest find. _"She's really unlike the others, that's for sure." _

Once the final item had been removed, cleaned and cataloged Carter joined them at the worktable to inspect what they had found.

"Well, well, I must say that for your first time this is most impressive. For someone new to excavating you did very well."

Jack looked over at Flora and gives her a smile. "I did so well because I had a good teacher showing me the right way to do it."

The complement caused a deep crimson blush to fill Flora's cheeks.

Carter chuckled lightly at his assistant's reaction. "Say Flora, isn't it about time for you to start to get dinner ready?"

A frown instantly filled the girl's face. "I suppose so. Can't you eat at the Inn tonight?" she sighed unhappily and began to head towards the mines exit. She stopped just before she was about to walk out and turned the farmer. "Say Jack; would you like to join us for dinner?" she asked in a hopeful voice.

"Sure, why not? All this digging has given me quite an appetite."

Flora's mood picked up quickly after hearing Jack's answer. "Alright, I'll go and get cleaned up first and then get started."

Carter sighed and walked over to where Jack was standing. "This is just a warning Jack, don't expect much at dinner, Flora's a pretty bad cook."

Jack stepped back for a moment and gave the robust Professor a dry look. "Her cooking can't be that bad. I mean look at you, you're hardly skin and bones."

"Ha, that has nothing to do with Flora. I'm this way because I often dine at the Inner Inn. Now Ruby, she can really cook," he added licking his lips.

The comment irritated Jack, but he bit his lip and decided that it's better to just keep quiet.

Carter took quick notice of the upset look on the farmer's face. "That's just my opinion on that, I suppose that you'll just have to decide for yourself if you like Flora's cooking or not. Come on, let's get cleaned up."

Jack followed him out of the mine and over to a metallic silver pail hanging from a rope next to the tent. They took turns washing their hands and faces. Then they dried themselves using the two hand towels hanging from a line next to the pail. Now clean, they walked over to the tent and stepped inside.

Inside the tent Jack was surprised to find it quite a bit larger than it appeared from the outside. A tantalizingly spicy aroma filled his nose as he walked further inside.

"Please have a seat anywhere at the table Jack," Flora said as she worked on the final perpetrations for their meal.

The farmer pulled out a chair and took a seat directly across from Carter. "Mmm… whatever you're cooking sure smells good. I can't wait to dig in!"

"Well, I hope that you're hungry," she said, placing a large glass bowl with fried rice onto the table. "Please go ahead and begin, I just need to finish up with the spring rolls," she added before returning to the kitchen.

Jack smiled and took two large scoops of the rice. He's about ready to place the first forkful into his mouth when he notices that Carter is watching him intently.

"Um, is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just want to see what your reaction will be when you taste Flora's food for the first time."

Again the farmer was angered by the elder man's comments but like before he kept his mouth shut.

"I bet it tastes great," Jack replied before taking a big forkful and placing it in his mouth.

It took a few moments for his taste buds to react to the unique taste. But once they do, he is pleasantly surprised by the taste. "Mmm… this is really tasty. You're wrong about Flora's cooking, it tastes good."

The old man looked at Jack. "But the thing is she never makes the foods that I like."

"Have you tried asking her to make those foods for you?" Jack questioned curiously before taking another forkful.

Flora returned to the table and placed a tray with spring rolls on it down in front of Jack. "Have a spring roll Jack," she offered with a smile.

"Thanks Flora!" the farmer replied happily as he removed two of the rolls and placed them on his plate. "Your cooking is really good," Jack added as the blond takes a seat next to him.

"Thank you Jack, that's nice of you to say," Flora replied happily as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

Once dinner was finished and the dishes were washed, Jack and Flora walked outside for some fresh air. By that time, they found that night had fallen across the valley.

Flora gazed up at the starry sky and then back over to Jack. "Want to go over to the Blue Bar for a drink?'

"Sorry, but I can't tonight. I need to get back to the farm and make sure that my animals are doing alright."

"Ah, I see, how about another time then?" Flora asked sighing softly.

"Of course, after all I'll be coming back just about every day, at least until spring gets here."

This news seemed to lighten the girl's mood. "Well then, I'll see you tomorrow," Flora replied happily.

They exchanged good-byes and Jack began to head down the snow covered pathway that led back to his home.

Flora watched as the farmer disappeared into the darkness before turning and walking back to the tent. As she does a thought crosses her mind. _"I wonder what he thinks of me."_

_Second chapter done! Hope you liked it. _


	3. Discovering Farm Life

_Thanks to all my reviewers__**, pink-kiss-candy, Lyoko Genex, xoxReneeOrionxox, and baby bear. **__You guys rock_

_**Disclaimer:**__ Nope not mine! _

_**Chapter 3: Discovering Farm Life**_

For the remaining weeks of the winter season, Jack made it a point to visit Flora and the mine at least once a day. As a result of this their friendship has bloomed like the cherry blossoms bloom in the spring.

"Hey Flora, it's time to wake up," a male voice called to her. "Come on sleepy head, rise and shine."

The young archeologist slowly opened her eyes and after taking a moment for them to focus, she saw her mentor standing near the door of the tent.

"I'm going over to the Inner Inn for a little while, so don't worry about my breakfast," he informed her before opening the door and walking out.

Groggily Flora sat up in her bed. She pushed away her dark green blanket trading the soft warmth of her bed for the cool morning air. After a few moments she swung her legs out of the small bed and stood up. Walking over to the kitchen area she began to prepare her breakfast. As she fried her eggs, thoughts of a certain farmer began to fill her mind.

"_I wonder what Jack is doing right now?"_

On the other side of Forget Me Not Valley Jack was already hard at work on his farm.

"Here you go Daisy," the farmer chirped as he placed a handful of fresh fodder into the white and black spotted cow's feed bin.

Contented moos filled the farmer's ears as he gently milked and then brushed the large animal.

After making sure that she had plenty of water he moved on to the next stall which housed his fluffy white sheep, Cotton.

Jack tended to the needs of the small animal before heading out of the barn and over towards his chicken coop. He was about half way across the sun drenched yard when he heard the sound of someone calling to him from the gate of the farm.

He recognized the voice almost immediately as that of a certain pretty blond haired archeologist. He turned and headed towards the gate. "Hello Flora," he greeted happily. "What brings you to my farm today?"

"Today is my day off so I thought I'd come by for a visit and see what your farm looks like," Flora answered.

"Ah, I see! Well come on and I'll give you the grand tour. We can start with my chickens since I was just heading over to their coop."

Flora nodded and gave the brown haired farmer a smile. "Sounds interesting, lead the way!"

Together they began to walk over to the chicken coop. As they did Jack noticed that his friend seemed to be quite interested in the farm. "Are you looking for something special?"

"Hm… ah… no, it's just that I grew up in the city and have never been on a real farm before. Even since I came here to the valley, I never knew anyone who farmed. That changed of course, when I met you!"

"Ah, so that's it. I remember having those same feelings when I first arrived. It can all seem a little overwhelming but I picked it up quickly."

Flora nodded and followed Jack around the side of the barn. Arriving at the chicken coop Jack opened the screen door and allowed her to walk inside. There she took an immediate notice of the distinct smell inside the coop.

"Yuck, it really stinks in here," she grunted, reaching up and pinching her nose closed.

"Yeah, it took me some time to get used to it!" Jack said with a small laugh. "But now, I have to admit that it doesn't bother me."

"If you say so, but I doubt that I could get used to this," Flora replied.

"Hey Flora, come over here, it's time for your first lesson on the care of chickens," he instructed as he stroked the bird's feathers lovingly. "Just reach under her and take out the egg."

The blonde archeologist looked at him doubtfully. "Um, you're kidding me right? Don't they have machines or something to do that?"

"Maybe on a larger farm, but here it's on us to harvest the eggs. Come on it's really quite easy," he added before reaching under the hen and removing an egg. Flora watched intently as he completed the task.

"See, there's really nothing to it," he said as they moved to the next nest. "Now it's your turn, just reach under her and take out the egg. It's easy."

Flora gulped and moved over in front of the hen. After eyeing the fowl for a moment and a bit of hesitation she quickly put her hand under the hen and removed the egg.

"I did it, I really did it! I actually took an egg out of a nest with a real hen! She chirped happily, holding up the egg proudly.

"Well done! Now just put it in the basket and do the same thing with rest of the nests."

With a confident smile Flora moved to the next nest and this time simply reached in and removed the egg like she'd been doing it all her life. She repeated this until the eggs have been removed from the last nest.

Proudly she then looked over at Jack. "That was fun! I never dreamed that I would get the chance to gather eggs like this." She giggled happily. "Living in the city, I never really understood how the eggs could get from the chickens and into those nice foam cartons. But now I know."

"The next thing you can try your hand at is feeding them." Jack said as he picked up a bucket and filled it with chicken feed. He then moved over to the feed boxes where he demonstrated to his blond friend how to fill the box.

"It's your turn now," he told her handing the bucket to Flora, who took it and moved over to the feed boxes.

"Like this?" she asked hopefully, pouring a small amount of feed into the box.

"That's perfect," Jack replied with a smile. "Are you sure you've never done anything like this before?" he teased playfully. 'You're a natural."

"No I never have! This is really my first time."

Once all the feed boxes were filled Jack called Flora over to the small wooden water trough. "The last thing to do is refill their water."

"May I do it?" Flora asked hopefully.

"Sure, it's easy, just turn on the spigot and fill it about half way up with water."

Flora did just as she was instructed, filling the water trough until it's just about half full. Jack noticed the look of delight on the girl's face. "Would you like to see more of the farm?"

"Yeah, that would be great!" Flora replied with a big smile.

'Well there is a lot to see then. How about we start in the barn?"

Flora nodded and followed the brown haired farmer outside and over to the large red structure. Inside Jack led her over to Daisy's stall. Jack noticed immediately that Flora seemed nervous around the large bovine and tried to reassure her that Daisy, in spite of her size is quite friendly.

"I don't know about that Jack," Flora replied in a cautious voice. "She's so big after all."

"Go ahead and pet her, it will be alright," Jack told the girl, smiling at her. "She especially likes to have her nose rubbed."

The blond moved cautiously over to the cow and slowly placed her hand on Daisy's nose. She gave it a couple of tentative strokes before quickly moving away.

"_Moo, moo_."

"See, she likes it. I told you it would be alright. It's not so bad is it?"

"No it isn't. Different that's for sure, but not bad. What other animals do you have?"

Jack led the blond across to the other side of the barn. "Over here is my sheep. Her name is Cotton."

Flora walked over and peered into the pen. "Oh, how cute she looks!" she giggled as she looked at the woolly animal. "Am I able to pet her too?"

"Of course you can. But I would stay away from her eyes; she doesn't like it when her eyes get covered."

This time Flora seemed a bit more confident and walked right into the pen and knelt down next to Cotton.

"You're so cute, and your fleece is so soft," she giggled happily as she ran her slender fingers through the animal's woolly coat. "Will you sheer her fleece soon?"

"I'll probably do that in the next couple of days," Jack replied. "I want to make sure that her coat is in full bloom first."

Flora gave the farmer a curious look. "Eh, what do you mean when her coat blooms? I've never heard of an animal's coat blooming before. Does it look like a flower once that happens?"

"Blooming is just a farming term meaning that her coat is fully grown out," Jack explained as he tried desperately to hold in the urge to laugh.

"Oh yeah right, I… I figured that it would be something like that," Flora countered quickly as she continued to pet the happy ewe.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to my horse," Jack said as he began to walk towards the barn door. "Make sure you latch the door when you close it," he instructed, pointing to the metal latch right above the doorknob.

Flora did as she was told and joined Jack a few moments later. Together they walked out of the barn and headed over to the nearby stable. "I have to say that your farm is such an interesting place. I never realized that so much went on here."

"I'm glad you like it. There is still a lot that needs to be done to get it back up to where it once was. "

Arriving at the stable, they walk inside and were greeted by the happy whinnies of Jack's dark brown horse.

"Wow she's so pretty, what's her name?"

"Her name is Ayame," Jack answered with a smile.

"Am I able to pet her as well?"

"Sure you can," the farmer replied. "She really likes it if you stroke her mane."

Flora walked confidently over to Ayame and this time showed no hesitation at all as she begins to stroke the horse's long mane. Ayame responded by nuzzling the girl happily.

"Hey, stop it that tickles!" she giggled happily and continued running her fingers thru the mares soft mane.

They remained in the stable for fifteen minutes. "Do you have any other animals besides the ones that you've shown me already?"

"No, that's all I have for now," Jack answered plainly. "But I hope to get more in the next couple of seasons though."

"I see that's too bad since I was hoping to see more. But when you get more animals I would like to see them."

As they walked out of the stable Jack's stomach growled loudly. He glanced at his watch and found that it was getting closer to lunchtime. "Hey Flora, are you hungry?"

The blond gave him a sheepish look."Yes… yes I am."

"Alright, come inside and I'll make us some sandwiches for lunch."

Jack held the door of his farmhouse open and allowed Flora to walk inside. She headed over to the table and sat down.

Angel joined her not long later. Cautiously the feline moved over to the blond and eyed her wryly. "Um… Jack, it seems that I've discovered by someone."

Jack looked over and grinned. "Her name is Angel, but unfortunately she doesn't always act like one."

"Ah, I see! She's cute."

The farmer gave her a curious look, "Um Flora, do you like cats?"

Flora nodded and smiled back at the brown haired young man. "I do love cats! I remember that we had this cat; Prince was his name and I was around 8 years old when we got him. He was a long haired Himalayan with these beautiful deep blue eyes."

"I see sounds like he was a beautiful cat," Jack replied.

"Yeah he was and I really loved him," Flora added as she gently stroked Angel's soft fur. "Sadly he died just after I left to go to the University."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It's never an easy thing when a beloved pet leaves your life."

Flora nodded. "It's alright and even though it took me a little while to get over losing him, it helped me to realize that nothing in this world lasts forever. Besides, now that I know that you have Angel, I can come and visit her."

Jack finished preparing the sandwiches and placed them on white ceramic plates. He then added a generous portion of potato chips and a large sliced dill pickle to each plate before bringing them to the table. After giving Flora her lunch he took a seat next to her.

"I hope you like it."

Flora gave the plate an inviting look and picked up one of the sandwich halves. She took a bite of the sandwich, and after a moment a smile crossed her face. "Hey this tastes really good! I've never had a sandwich like this before. What's it called?"

"It's called a submarine sandwich," the farmer answered after swallowing. "My dad used to make them for us all the time when I was younger and he showed me how to make them before I left."

"It really has a delicious taste. Do you think that one day you could show me how to make one?"

Jack smiled. "Of course I can, I'm sure even Carter would like one."

Flora shook her head and sighed. "I don't know about that. It seems that no matter how hard I try, he doesn't like anything I make."

Her comment causes Jack to sigh as well. "It sounds like to me that he really doesn't have a lot of respect for you."

Flora shook her head. "He isn't all bad Jack. After all, he is helping me with my studies."

"That may be so, but I would feel better if I thought he wasn't taking advantage of you."

The blond smiled. "Thank you for saying that Jack, it means a lot to me."

After lunch was finished they headed back outside and walked over to the now snow covered fields.

"I know they don't look like much right now, but come back after about the second week of spring and I guarantee it will be quite a different picture."

Flora looked out at the snow covered fields in front of her. "When spring arrives, can you show me how to plant crops?"

Jack gave his friend a smile."I don't see a reason why not. But just so you know its kind of dirty work."

Flora rolled her violet eyes."And working in the mine isn't a dirty job? Don't worry Jack; I think I can handle a little dirt!"

A sheepish look filled the farmer's face. "Yeah, I suppose you're right about that."

They continued to look at the fields for another few minutes before Jack turned to face Flora.

"Um… I was wondering," he began hesitantly. "The Starry Night Festival is in a few days and umm.., I was wondering… would you like to go with me Flora?"

For a moment she remained silent. _"Is he really asking me out to the Starry Night Festival?"_

Jack took quick notice of the girl's apparent hesitation. "I know that the Starry Night Festival is usually just for couples, but I thought that… you know, maybe we could go just as friends."

A few more tense moments passed as Flora thought about the question. After a while, a sweet smile filled the blonde's face. "I'd be happy to go with you Jack."

An audible sigh escaped Jack's lips. "That's great, I'm sure we will have a good time."

As they headed back towards the farms gate Flora turned to Jack. "Thank you for taking the time to show me your farm Jack; I had a really good time today. As my thanks to you, let's go to the Blue Bar for a drink, my treat."

"That sounds like a good idea," Jack replied happily. 'Thank you Flora!"

On their way to the town's tavern they met up with Lumina. Jack and Flora smiled as they got closer to the girl.

"Hi Lumina, how are you today?" Flora asked the girl pleasantly.

"I'm doing well thank you for asking. How about you Flora, how are things going for you?"

"Life is just fine," Flora replied happily, glancing over at the farmer standing next to her.

"How about you Jack, is life on the farm treating you well?"

"I'm doing fine. I have to admit that it's hard work, but I'm getting used to it" Jack replied with a smile. "The farm is doing well."

After a few more minutes of small talk they said good-by and continued towards the bar. They arrived ten minutes later and walk inside.

"Hi guys, the usual for you two tonight?" Muffy greeted as she approached the pair.

Both Jack and Flora nodded their heads yes and sat down at a table near the small stage. They remained at the bar for the next couple of hours, during which time Jack learned that Flora has a younger sister named Jennifer.

"She's two years younger than me," Flora explained. "And like me, she would like to attend the University. She wants to study world history."

"I see that's interesting that while not the same, both of you want to study history related subjects."

"How about you Jack, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Flora asked curiously.

"Yes I do, I have a younger sister named Stephanie," Jack explained happily. "She's three years younger than me."

"That's cool, we both have younger siblings," Flora replied before taking a sip of her red wine.

They continued to talk about their families, particularly their younger siblings, until Jack looked at his watch. "Wow, it's gotten late, looks like it's time to go," he said as he stood up. "I'll walk you home."

"Thank you Jack, I'd appreciate that," Flora replied as she too stood and followed Jack towards the door.

"Good night you two, come back soon!" Griffin said, waving his hand to the departing couple.

Both Jack and Flora returned the wave as they opened the wooden door and stepped out into the crisp night air.

As they began to head down the moonlit pathway towards her home, Flora reached out and took hold of Jack's hand. The farmer gave her a curious look but made no attempt to remove his hand from her grasp. Instead he smiled at the pretty girl next to him and continued to walk towards the mine.

After getting Flora safely back to her tent and saying good-bye, Jack headed back down the darkened path towards his farm."_I can't wait for the Starry Night festival," _He thought happily to himself.

_Chapter 3 complete! I hope you like the story so far. The Next Chapter, "A Festival of Firsts" is coming soon, so look for it. Thanks for reading! _


	4. A Festival of Firsts

_Thanks to__** pink-kiss-candy, Momo-chan12, xoxReneeOrionxox, baby bear, roxas-kh, Poncho D, and fuzzi fox **__for your reviews! You guys are the reason I like to write._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Harvest Moon. Natsume does. _

_**Chapter 4: A Festival of Firsts**_

Life on a farm can keep a gut busy! So it didn't surprise Jack that the days preceding the Starry Night festival passed in what seemed to him to be the blink of an eye.

Over at the mine Flora was busy working on finishing up her latest excavation. Her mentor gave the girl a curious look and walked over to her side. "Flora, didn't you tell me that you were going to the Starry Night festival with Jack tonight?"

The blond looked up curiously from the lithograph she was currently working on unearthing and smiled. "Yes I am. Why?"

"Well it's getting late so you might want to hurry and get cleaned up."

Flora looked down at her watch and gasped. "Oh crap, it's after six already, Jack will be here shortly to pick me up!"

She hurriedly cleaned up her tools and exited the mine, running over to the tent. Inside to her annoyance she found that Carter is sitting at the table. He gave her a curious look before returning his attention to the magazine in front of him.

"Um, Carter, some privacy please! I need to get changed before Jack arrives," she shouted pointing towards the tent's exit.

Taking quick notice of his student's annoyed tone he nodded. "Alright, alright I'm going. Sheesh," he grunted as he got up and walked towards the tents door. He paused momentary at the door, chuckling lightly to himself as he watched his stressed out assistant hurriedly begin to prepare herself for the date.

On the other side of the valley Jack was sitting nervously at the table in his farm house. He glanced for what seemed like the hundredth time at the clock and sighed."Well Angel, wish me luck tonight." He sighed softly while scratching his feline friend behind her ear.

The multi colored cat looked at her owner for a moment before moving close and rubbing her face lovingly against his.

"Thank you for that vote of confidence sweetie," he cooed lovingly as he stroked the cat's soft fur.

The farmer then got up and happily strode out the door. A smile lit up his face as he headed out the gate and towards the mine.

Back at the mine Flora had finished washing up and was in the process of putting her sandy blond hair into its usual ponytail. Suddenly she stopped for a moment and looked at herself in the mirror.

"_Hm… maybe I'll leave my hair down,"_ she mused to herself. Her smile returned as she brushed out her long blonde hair. _"I bet Jack will be surprised." _

As Jack rounded the corner and approached Vesta's farm, he noticed that Celia was still hard at work.

"_I wonder if she's going to the festival with someone tonight,"_ he wondered curiously as he passed by the brown haired girl, waving to her as he did so. Celia happily returned Jack's greeting before turning her attention back to the sacks of seeds scattered around her feet.

It took ten more minutes for Jack to arrive at the mine and as he did he headed right over to the tent and knocked on the wooden post in front of the door.

"Hello Flora, it's me Jack. Are you ready to go?"

"I'm just about ready, give me just a minute to finish up," she answered from inside the canvas structure.

Jack stepped back and waited patiently for his friend just outside the tent. As he did so he thought about much he's enjoyed spending time with Flora.

"_I'm so glad that I decided to stop by the mine that day,"_ he thought to himself with a grin.

A few minutes later Flora finally emerged from her Canvas home and Jack immediately noticed that something about the young archeologist was different. "You did something different to your hair didn't you?"

"Yes I did. I decided to leave it down instead of putting it in a ponytail. Do you like it this way?"

Jack smiled happily. "I sure do, you… um, you look really cute with your hair down like that."

The farmer's compliment caused Flora's cheeks to blush bright red.

Jack gave Flora a grin. "If you're ready, shall we go then?"

"I'm all set, let's go," Flora replied as she took Jack by the hand and the two of them head down the pathway towards the small village. As they walked towards the beach, Flora looked over at Jack and smiled happily.

They arrived at Forget me Not Valley's white sandy beach a short time later. There was a steady cool sea breeze blowing in off the sea and it caused Flora to shiver slightly. The blond wrapped her arms around her body as she watched Jack lay out a dark blue blanket. Together they sat down on the soft fabric and turned their heads skywards. The stars glittered above them brightly, offsetting the velvety midnight black of the sky above their heads.

"It's so beautiful, I love to gaze up at the stars and dream…" Flora said softly.

"They sure are," Jack agreed as he put his arm around his friend and pulled her gently closer to him.

"Thank you for inviting me to go with you." Flora cooed softly as she rested her head on the farmer's shoulder. As she did so, she could feel her heart beat a little faster. _"Is this how love feels?"_

"You're very welcome Flora. It was my pleasure."

They sat together and quietly gaze in wonderment at the twinkling lights above them. As they did, Jack felt Flora's petite frame shiver again. "Are you cold Flora?"

Flora nodded. "Yes, I'm starting to feel a bit cold. The sea breeze is quite chilly."

"I see, how about we head over to the Blue Bar then? Muffy told me that they were going to have a special party to celebrate the festival tonight," Jack explained as he helped Flora to her feet and picked up the blanket.

"Sorry for spoiling the mood," Flora sighed softly. "But I tend to get cold easily."

Jack gave the girl a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. I was starting to feel a little chilly myself."

"Um, Jack, do you mind if we skip going to the bar tonight? I'm really not in the mood for a crowd."

"Sure, that's no problem at all," Jack replied as he placed his arm around the pretty blond haired girl next to him.

As they walked slowly back to the mine Flora looked at the brown haired farmer walking next to her. _"I feel so happy when I'm with him..."_ she mused quietly._"I guess this really is what love feels like."_

Once back at the mine Jack turned to Flora and placed both his arms around her waist. The blond responded positively by also placing her arms around the farmer's waist. Jack smiled and looked deeply into Flora's glimmering violet eyes. Slowly he began to lean in towards her. Flora remained motionless as his face drew closer to her making no attempt to deter his advance. Instead, she welcomed the advance and began to move forward herself. A moment later their lips join together in their first kiss.

The kiss lasted only a moment, leaving them gazing dreamily into each others eyes. After a moment Jack broke the silence. "I hope you had a good time tonight Flora."

Flora looked at the young man in front of her and smiled. "It was a wonderful evening, thank you so much for everything Jack."

After an extended good-bye, Jack began the trek back to his farm. Flora waved until he disappeared into the inky blackness of the night. She then turned around and walked into the tent.

As she walked inside Carter looked up from the book in front of him. "So how was your date with Jack? Was the festival nice?"

"It was fun," Flora answered plainly, not wanting to give her elder mentor and more details.

"That's it? It was just… fun? That's all you're going to tell me about it?"

"That's what I said wasn't it," Flora replied sounding a bit irritated at Carter's nosey inquiry. "That's all I want to say."

"Well where did you go? Can't you at least tell me where Jack took you?" he probed once again.

Flora, now getting quite upset at the elder archeologist's questioning turned to him angrily."Why do I have to tell you what I did and where Jack took me? It's not like I'm a little girl after all! In case you haven't noticed, I'm an adult and fully capable of caring for myself!"

Shocked at his student's sudden outburst Carter finally got the point and decided to leave his miffed off assistant alone.

As Flora placed her head down on her pillow and pulled the warm comforter up over herself, she closed her eyes and hoped that Jack will join her in her dreams.

_Chapter 4 is done! I hope that you like the way the story is going. Please leave a review and let me know. Thanks! _


	5. Springtime

_Thanks to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter. __**roxas-kh, baby bear, AshRB, and Poncho D.**__ You guys rock! _

_**Disclaimer:**__ I still don't own Harvest Moon, Natsume does. _

_**Chapter 5: Springtime**_

A cold winter wind howled across Forget Me Not Valley. But for the most part, the valley's residents were unaffected by the late season chill. Many were gathered at the Blue Bar and a party was well underway. At that very moment though, all eyes were anxiously watching the clock as it inched closer to midnight.

As the final seconds of the year ticked away the patrons counted them down. Finally the second hand hit midnight and cheers of "Happy New Year!" resonated throughout the tavern. Among the revelers were a young brown haired farmer and a blond haired archeological student.

"Happy New Years, Flora!" Jack shouted happily as he embraced the pretty blond.

"Happy New Years to you too Jack!" she replied, welcoming his warm embrace.

"Thank you sweetie!" The farmer swooned as he leaned forward and kissed her sweetly.

Flora smiled broadly and happily returned the kiss while holding Jack close to her.

"Hey, why don't you two get a room?" Muffy teased playfully as she approached where Jack and Flora were standing. "Cheers and Happy New Year!" she added cheerfully, raising her glass in toast.

"Happy New Years Muff!" Jack slurred as he hugged the blond barmaid.

"Please continue to have a good time," Muffy added as she pushed herself away from Jack and headed back towards the bar.

Next to celebrate the arrival of the New Year with Jack and Flora was the redheaded wanderer Nami. "Happy New Years," she spoke softly while extending her hand, first to Flora and then to Jack. "I hope the coming year is a good one for both of you."

Over the next couple of hours the valley's residents mingle and exchange wishes of both good health and fortune in the coming year.

As the party continued into the predawn hours, many of the guests shared a toast with the young couple. Flora showed some restraint and slowly nursed a glass of her usual red wine. Jack on the other hand seemed more than happy to down a drink with each and every person who raised a glass with him. This resulted in him becoming rather inebriated.

"You know Jack; I'm really looking forward to seeing your farm once you've started to grow plants. You will show me how to tend to the plants like you promised, right?"

"Um… sure… of course I will Flora dear!" Jack slurred. "Just come by when you have some time and I'll introduce you to the scourge of my fields, the terrible weed!" he added with a big goofy smile.

Concerned at the amount of alcohol her boyfriend has already had, Flora approached the farmer. "Jack, I really think you've had enough to drink for tonight."

"I'm n… not as think as y… y… you drunk I am Flora sweetie!" he replied between silly fits of the giggles.

Flora rolled her violet eyes and called the Blue Bar's hostess over. "Hey Muff, Jack's had more than enough, no more booze for him tonight."

"Sure, that's no problem Flora."

Jack looked over curiously, first at Muffy and then at Flora. "Hey what's that? I'll decide when I've had enough to drink!" he stammered loudly. "Who put you in charge anyway Flora? It's not like you're my mother or anything! I can do what I want when and how I want to without you telling me what I can and can't do!"

Flora shrunk back at her boyfriends harsh words. "I… I'm just concerned about you Jack, that's all," she said softly as tears began to well in her violet eyes.

"Jack, that was totally uncalled for! Flora is just worried that you're too drunk. I want you to apologize to her right now for that outburst!" Muffy commanded loudly. "And no more booze for you tonight!"

Through his drunken stupor Jack suddenly realized that his insensitive comments had made his girlfriend cry. This fact seemed to instantly sober the young farmer right up. He looked solemnly over at the pretty sandy haired girl sitting next to him. "I'm so sorry Flora; please forgive my stupid drunk self."

"I'll only forgive you Jack… if you agree not to drink anymore tonight."

The young farmer quickly agreed to Flora's conditions and both remained at the party until the bar closed at three in the morning.

Once Flora is safely returned at her home, Jack took a moment and looked Flora directly into her pretty violet eyes.

"I want to thank you for being concerned about me back at the bar," he spoke softly. "It's just that… well; I'm not used to having someone there to worry about me like that. I really did act like an ass didn't I?"

"Yes you did Jack, and what you said really hurt me. But that's all water under the bridge now so don't worry about it." Flora replied in a tone that implied that she was still quite miffed at what had happened earlier. "I do hope you feel alright in the morning," she added before turning and heading into the tent.

As Jack walked slowly back to his farm he began to think about what had happened. At that moment the very thought that his little rant could have ruined what he'd hoped would become a wonderful relationship hit the young man like a ton of bricks.

He finally arrived back at his farm a short time later. As he walked inside Angel greeted him with a series of plaintive meows. "Wow I'm totally wiped out. I don't know about you Angel, but I'm going hit the sack and get some much needed shut eye."

After quickly changing into his pajamas he climbed into his bed. His weary body was comforted and it only took a few seconds for him to drift off to sleep.

**XXX**

Morning dawned over the valley and and Jack's roosters began their morning chorus. Jack grumbled wearily as he was drawn back into the world of his farm. Bleary eyed the young farmer glanced over at his clock, grimacing at the 6:02 AM taunting back at him.

"Ugh… guess I've gotten a little too used to sleeping in during the winter season," he muttered before climbing out of bed. "Oh crap, my head feels like it's going to explode. Damn, I drank way to much last night."

Slowly he pushed himself up and shuffled towards the bathroom to take a shower. Once clean, he quickly got dressed and headed into the kitchen to feed Angel and prepare some breakfast of his own.

A quick glance at the clock mounted on the kitchen wall confirmed what he already knew. "It's time for me to get going Angel. I've got to get working in the fields to get them ready for the spring crops," he informed his pet before opening the door and heading outside into the warm spring sun.

**XXX**

On the far side of the valley a grumpy senior archeologist prepared to rouse his still slumbering assistant.

"Hey Flora, it's late. It's time to get up! I'm hungry, aren't you going to get up and make me some breakfast?"

Flora grumbled and reluctantly opened her eyes, looking over at her mentor. "I'm still tired and don't want to get up just yet. Can't you just go to the Inner Inn for breakfast?"

"But I don't want to walk all the way to the inn today," Carter whined in protest. "Why can't you just get up and make me some pancakes and eggs? You can go back to sleep afterwords if you want."

Flora groaned and pulled the comforter up over her head. "I'm not going to make you anything until after I get cleaned up. And that's not happening anytime soon," she added sounding a bit more than just annoyed.

"Come on Flora, just this one time," Carter pleaded. "It's too hot to walk all the way to the inn. You can get cleaned up after you make my breakfast."

It didn't take her long to realize that unless she made him breakfast, Carter wasn't going to leave her alone. She wasn't happy about the prospect of it but she tossed that comforter off herself and walked angrily into the kitchen. There she hurriedly prepared some pancakes and scrambled eggs.

"Here you go, I hope you enjoy them," Flora said in a sarcastic tone, placing the plate on the table in front of her mentor. She then grabbed her wash cloth and soap and headed outside to get cleaned up.

Carter averted his gaze down towards the food in front of him and before even tasting it he added several large squeezes of ketchup to the eggs. After stirring it around a bit he began to eat. It was immediately obvious by the look on his face that he didn't like the taste of the food very much.

Flora returned a half hour later and was happy to find the tent unoccupied. After putting away her washcloth and soap, she prepared her own breakfast. Once finished she headed over to the mine. As she neared the shaft's entrance, a thought crossed her mind. _"I wonder how Jack is feeling this morning. I bet he ended up with one hell of a hangover!"_

**XXX**

"Come on Daisy, just a bit more..." Jack cooed to his cow as he brushed out her coat. His cow happily accommodated the farmer's request and returned the affection with a series of happy and contented moos.

After finishing caring for his cow Jack turned his attention to his ewe, Cotton. He brushed out the small sheep's coat and refilled her fodder bin and water trough.

Once done tending to the needs of his animals, the farmer began to focus his attention on preparing his weed filled, rock strewn fields for his spring crops. "Damn you guys grow fast," he grunted loudly before pulling out a weed and tossing it onto a nearby pile. "It's only the first day of spring and you guys all over the place."

Four hours after he began working in the field, Jack took a much needed break. As he took a deep drink of cool water the thought of a certain blond haired woman entered his mind. _"I hope that Flora is having a better day than I am."_

**XXX**

"Flora, are you still working on that same piece?" Carter questioned his assistant curiously. "You've been at that same piece for the last two hours."

Flora sighed and turned her gaze up to meet her mentors. "Sorry Carter, but it's not going so well," she responded, holding up several broken pieces of the lithograph in front of her.

Carter grunted and shook his head in disbelief before walking away muttering something about lost money. Unfortunately for Flora, the remainder of her day didn't improve much.

After what seemed like an eternity her day finally came to a conclusion. As Flora stepped out into the waning sunlight of early evening she paused momentarily. _"I guess Jack was too busy to drop by today."_

Much to Flora's chagrin nothing much changed for the next couple of days. Eventually her day off arrived and she took advantage of the time off to pay a visit to a certain brown haired farmer. She walked quickly through the small village, arriving at the farm a short time later. As she walked through the gate she didn't immediately see Jack around. Curious she headed towards the barn to see if he's inside.

Pushing the heavy wooden door open, she stepped into the large structure and called out. "Hey Jack, are you in there? It's me, Flora!" She got no answer so she headed back outside. That was when she remembered him talking about getting his fields ready for harvesting. So, she decided to try there. As she rounded the corner of the stable she found Jack working diligently in the fields.

"Good morning Jack!" she greeted in a cheery tone. "How are you doing in your war against the weeds?"

Jack looked up from the field and smiled. "Hi Flora! Well, for now I'm winning the battle, but it's a constant fight! Are you here to learn how to plant crops?"

A blush crept its way into Flora's cheeks. "Actually… um I've missed seeing you at the mine. So since today is my day off, I thought I would stop by and see you. And since you are working in your field, you can show me what you're doing."

A smile filled the farmer's face. "Sure I can do that. Come on in and get ready to get dirty!"

For the next couple of hours Jack carefully instructed his girlfriend on how to prepare the soil, then plant and water the seeds. He also showed her how to pull weeds and keep the seeded plots free of other debris.

"Now in a couple of days you'll be able to see the sprouts beginning to come up," he informed her, pointing to the freshly planted squares.

"I can't wait to see that!" Flora giggled happily. "Before this I had never planted anything! I mean my mom used to have this little garden plot that she tended, but that never really interested me."

"I see. So now the next time you visit her, you can help her with her garden." Jack smiled before glancing down at his watch. "Hey Flora, you must be hungry after all that work. How about I fix us some dinner?"

"Thank you for the offer Jack, but I really have to get back to the mine and make dinner for Carter. He gets quite grumpy if dinner isn't ready."

Jack sighed and kicked some loose dirt with the side of his boot. "I see, how about another time then? I wouldn't want Carter to get mad at you for not having his dinner done when he demanded it."

"He's not such a bad person Jack. Please don't think of him in such an awful light."

"I'll try not to, but it seems to me that he is taking advantage of you," the farmer added as he walked towards the farm's gate. "I wish that he'd just show you a little more gratitude is all."

After a quick good-bye Flora headed back to the mine. She arrived just as Carter was walking out of the shaft's entrance. He waved to her and headed quickly towards the entrance to the tent.

Flora smiled at her teacher. "Say Carter, would you mind if I make curry for dinner tonight?"

A displeased look filled the man's face. "Curry… um, do you have to make that today?" he whined loudly. "Can't you just make us some hamburgers instead?"

"No, I can't. I want to make curry for dinner," Flora retorted. "If you don't want curry then I'd suggest you head over to the Inner Inn for dinner."

Carter grumbled a bit longer about Flora's choice for dinner but finally reluctantly agreed to letting her make curry for their evening meal.

As they sat down to eat Carter turned to his assistant. "Hey Flora, I have some news for you," he began. "Starting tomorrow we will have some help in the mine. Gray, the apprentice blacksmith from Mineral Town will be coming by to work with us part time."

The news of Gray's arrival only mildly interested Flora and she didn't ask any questions about it.

After dinner Flora excused herself and walked out of her canvas home and into the cool night air. She let out a soft sigh and looked up at the bright moon shining above her. For a few moments she considered heading over to the bar for a drink, but decided instead to head back inside and get some much needed shut eye.

Flora and Carter were working together to excavate a lithograph when a young brown haired man wearing a blue and red colored baseball cap embossed with UMA on the front entered the mine. Carter heard the sound of the door slamming closed and looked up.

"Ah, you must be Gray. Saibara told me that you would be coming today"

"Y… yes, sir. I am," he replied shyly, peering around the mine curiously.

"Ah, I see. Well welcome to out excavation site. My name is Professor Carter but please just call me Carter."

Gray extended his hand in greeting. "It's nice to meet you. I hope I can help with whatever it is you do here. Gramps wasn't very descriptive about that after all."

"Don't worry about that, we can show you what to do. Hey Flora, can you come over here please." Carter shouted, waving towards the blond.

Flora set her tools down and walked over to where the two men were standing.

"Flora, this is Gray, the boy I was telling you about at dinner last night," Carter introduced. "Flora here is my assistant. I'll have you work with her and she can show you how to excavate the artifacts properly."

Flora rolled her violet eyes at the thought of having to teach this new guy what to do. However after a bit of convincing from her mentor, she reluctantly agreed and instructed Gray to follow her over to the spot that she'd been working on before he arrived.

At first Gray appeared clumsy and unmotivated to Flora. But once he began to understand what to do, he quickly refined his method and worked diligently to remove each piece with care. After a rocky first day Gray continued to visit the mine each Thursday and quickly became good friends with both Flora and Carter.

**XXX**

Back on the farm, Jack had just finished up with his daily chores and after getting cleaned up, he decided to pay a visit to the mine and see his girlfriend.

He arrived at the mine thirty five minutes later and seeing no one around outside, he assumed that they must be still working in the mine. He approached the heavy wooden door, pulled it open and walked inside. Once in the cavern he looked around curiously seeing Carter sitting at his desk working on some paperwork and Flora occupied on unearthing something. What suddenly concerned him was the fact that she wasn't alone! Next to her is a brown haired guy wearing a baseball cap. Jack watched in utter disbelief as the two playfully tease each other while working.

"Flora…, who the hell is this guy? I can't come every day so you find another guy? Is that what he is! How could you do this to me?" he shouted angrily.

The commotion quickly grabbed the attention of Carter as well as both Flora and Gray. Flora gave her boyfriend a curious look. "Jack, what are you talking about?"

"Don't play coy with me Flora! I saw how you two were playing around when I walked in," he spat back. "I was wondering why you hadn't dropped by the farm recently. What is he your new boyfriend?"

Flora pushed herself up and quickly headed towards the upset farmer. "No, no, Jack, this is not what you think it is! Gray is just here to help Carter and I work in the mine"

"Is that so? Then how do you explain all the laughing and joking going on between you two?"

"Like I said, Gray is just here to help us," Flora stammered. "We joke around to help make things more fun and to pass the time quicker… it's nothing more than that, I assure you!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, good-bye Flora!" Jack retorted before heading back out of the mine.

For the next couple of days a heartbroken Flora tried to talk to her boyfriend, to explain what he'd seen and to reassure him that she only had feelings for him. But the brown haired farmer avoided all contact with her.

As the final week of spring came to a close Jack headed to the Blue Bar for a nightcap. As he entered the small drinking establishment he saw Flora sitting alone at a table. The blonde's expression turned hopeful as her boyfriend seemed to approach. However instead of sitting down with her like she'd hoped he would, he took a seat at the bar.

Muffy walked over and eyed him wryly. "What would you like to drink today Jack."

Jack glanced quickly over at the blonde sitting alone. "I'll have just have a cola," he answered softly.

"I'll get that right up for you Jack," the hostess replied.

For the next half hour Jack nursed the cola and listened halfheartedly to Ann from Mineral Town sing bad karaoke. He glanced over at Flora, who saw him looking at her and smiled back weakly.

Seemingly unfazed he turned his attention away from the sandy haired girl and back to the drink on the bar in front of him. Ann finished her song and received some small applause for the bars occupants.

After a short pause the next song began and Jack listened intently to the songs rhythmic beat. But what caught and held his attention was the voice of the woman singing! He spun around quickly and was surprised to see Flora on the stage with the microphone in her hand!

"_Boy meets girl  
You were my dream, my world  
But I was blind  
You cheated on me from behind  
So on my own  
I feel so all alone  
Though I know it's true  
I'm still in love with you"_

Jack listened and watched as Flora sang and as the song progressed he could begin to feel his heart race.

"_I need a miracle  
I wanna be your girl  
Give me a chance to see  
that you are made for me…"_

"_I need a miracle  
Please let me be your girl  
One day you'll see it can happen to me…"_

Before he'd realized what he'd done Jack jumped down from his bar-stool and began to dance to the song's rhythmic beat.

"_Day and night  
I'm always by your side  
Cause I know for sure  
My love is real my feelings pure  
So take a try  
No need to ask me why  
Cause I know it's true  
I'm still in love with you"_

Flora smiled when she saw Jack dancing on the floor in front of the stage and beckoned him to join her up on the stage. Without hesitation he accepted the invitation and quickly joined his girlfriend, matching her dance moves with his own.

"_I need a miracle  
I wanna be your girl  
Give me a chance to see  
That you are made for me  
I need a miracle  
Please let me be your girl  
One day you'll see it can happen to me  
I need a miracle…" _

As the music finished both Jack and Flora took a bow in response to the loud applause resonating throughout the bar. After jumping back off the stage Flora approached and cautiously wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Did you like my song Jack?"

"Yes I did sweetie… yes I did," the farmer replied as tears began to fall from his chocolate brown eyes. "I'm so sorry for not trusting you… and accusing you of cheating on me with that guy in the mine… can you ever forgive my stupidity?"

"Yes I can Jack," she answered, giving the farmer a broad smile. "I'm just happy that you understand now… it's in the past so let's move on."

"Thank you Flora, you are truly a one-in-a-million girl and I'm so lucky to have you in my life!" He looked deeply into her glimmering violet eyes, realizing just how very pretty they were. Reaching inside, he found his courage and spoke four simple but very meaningful words to her. "I love you Flora."

"I love you too Jack"

"Well, it's about time you two confessed to each other!" Muffy added with a smile. "I have to say that you two are a perfect match for each other."

A happy smile filled Jack's face as he pulled his girlfriend into a warm and passion filled hug. He knew at that moment that he'd found his soul mate and that no matter what happened, he would never lose her!

_Yeah, chapter 5 is done! I hope everyone likes how things are progressing do far. Please take a moment to leave me a review. Thanks! _

_A/N: The song that Flora does her karaoke act to is "Miracle" from Cascada. _


	6. Proposal

_Thank you to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter.__** pink-kiss-candy, Lyoko Genex, roxas-kh, AshRB, baby bear, S. King, Momo-chan12, fuzzi fox, and Poncho D. **__Your comments really mean a lot to me._

_**Disclaimer:**__ Nope not mine at all! _

_**Chapter 6: Proposal**_

"Hey Flora, Gray's here," Carter announced, pointing to the baseball cap wearing young man from Mineral Town as he entered the mine.

Flora put her tools down and dusted herself off. "Hi Gray, I'm over here! Glad you're here, I have a special project planned for you," Flora announced as she approached him. "Follow me; it's over there in the far corner of the mine."

The apprentice blacksmith nodded and followed behind Flora as she descended into to the depths of the mine. "I really want to thank you guys for letting me work here. It's nice and cool in the mine, defiantly better than sweating it out in the shop."

Flora smiled at the young man. "You're welcome. According to Carter's research, there are supposed to be several artifacts buried in this area. I want you to clear away all the dirt, let me know if you come across anything."

Gray nodded his head in understanding. "Are you sure it will be alright? You know, what about Jack?"

The blond gave him a reassuring smile. "Jack and I have agreed to trust each other."

Gray gave her a wry look. "Sure, if you say so. I just don't want him coming at me with a sickle or something!"

Several hours passed and Gray along with Flora's help was working on unearthing his third artifact of the day when the sound of footsteps entering the mine could be heard.

"Good afternoon Jack, it's nice to see you again." Carter greeted the farmer as he walked inside. "You can find Flora over there, helping Gray to uncover some artifacts," he added, pointing to the far corner of the cave.

Jack nodded and began to walk over in the direction of his girlfriend. As he approached he paused, taking notice of how closely she was working with that Mineral Town guy. A pang of jealousy ran through him and for the briefest of moments, he had the urge to tear Gray's head off and use it for a football. _"I will trust Flora…"_

"Hello Flora, Gray. Are you both working hard?"

Flora looked up and gave her boyfriend a smile. "Oh, hey there Jack. Gray and I were just uncovering a lithograph; it's the third one he's found today," Flora answered trying not to sound as nervous as she was feeling.

It was immediately apparent to Jack that his girlfriend was nervous that this meeting would end in a similar way that the last had. Wanting to prove to her that he indeed trusted her, Jack gave both of them a smile and extended his hand. "Last time we met things got off on the wrong foot. My name is Jack and it's a pleasure to meet you."

Gray stood up and dusted off his hands before accepting the farmer's handshake. "Yeah, I'll say it did. My name is Gray and it's nice to meet you Jack."

Flora breathed an audible sigh of relief as she watched the two boys shake hands and smile.

Jack then turned his attention back to Flora. "So, is the artifact in good condition?"

"Yes it is, in fact, it's the best one we've found today!" Flora replied sounding somewhat relived that at least for the time being, tensions seemed to be at a minimum. "I have to say that Gray has done a good job of excavating it."

Jack nodded and gave the apprentice blacksmith a smile. "I see. It seems that you just might have the touch for this type of work."

"I'm not really sure if I have the touch or not," Gray admitted. "Flora's just a good teacher, that's all."

Flora gulped as she listened to Gray complement her. A worried look filled the sandy haired girl's face and she quickly looked over at her boyfriend to see what his reaction would be.

Jack quickly eased her tensions by looking over and giving her a wink. "You're right about that my friend. Flora has taught me to excavate as well. Anyway, you both are busy, is there anything I can do to lend a hand?"

Flora shook her head and pointed to the worksite. "If you don't mind, can you help Gray finish unearthing the lithograph? I need to get some paperwork done in the meantime."

The brown haired farmer smiled. "Sure, I can do that. Alright Gray, let's get that thing out!"

"Alright Jack, we still have a ways to go since we'd just started to uncover it when you arrived."

"If you boys have things under control, I'll be over by Carter for a bit," Flora told the boys. "If you need anything, just give me a shout."

It took Jack and Gray the remainder of the afternoon to finish unearthing the artifact. Once they removed it from its earthen tomb, Carter adjusted his glasses and began to inspect the quality of the item.

"Well I must say this piece is of a very good quality. There are a few little nicks on it, but for the most part, you boys did a good job of removing it."

Jack and Gray gave each other a nod of satisfaction after hearing the archeologist's comments.

Carter then gazed down at the watch on his left wrist. "It's just before four o'clock, that about does it for today. No need to worry about making dinner tonight Flora, I'm going to the Inn tonight. Ruby told me that she has a new recipe for me to try. "

Jack smiled and wiped his dirty hands. "Say, how about we all head over to the Blue Bar for a drink," Jack suggested. "Maybe we can get a little better acquainted that way."

"Sorry but a have to decline this time," Gray began. "I have to get back before it gets dark or my Gramps will go ballistic."

"Aw, that's too bad. Maybe you can go with us next week." Flora replied as she took hold of Jack's hand.

"Sure, why not. I'll just let gramps know that I'll be home a little later, that way he won't worry. See you next Thursday."

Jack glanced over to his girlfriend. "You know, I'm not really in the mood for the bar. How about we head over to my farm and I cook both of us a nice dinner."

"Thank you Jack, that sounds like a nice idea," Flora agreed with a smile.

The walk back to Jack's farm took them about thirty minutes. As they arrived at the house, Jack welcomed his girlfriend inside. "Have a seat at the table and I'll get started." Jack informed happily. "'I hope you like spaghetti and meatballs."

"I love it, pasta dishes are some of my favorites!" Flora replied with a hungry smile.

Curious meowing filled Flora's ears and looking down, she found Angel circling her feet. She reached down and gently picked up the calico colored cat and began to scratch her under her chin. Angel's happy purring let Flora know that she'd found the right spot.

Jack walked out of the kitchen and smiled happily at the sight of his two favorite girls getting better acquainted.

Flora glanced up and noticed that Jack was watching her. "Angel sure seems to have taken a real liking to me."

"She's not the only one who has."

Flora's cheeks turn a deepened crimson shade at her boyfriend's comment.

Once Jack had finished all the preparations, he placed a large blue plastic bowl of steaming noodles and a silver colored pot of marinara sauce on the table. "I hope you like how everything tastes," he stuttered in a slightly nervous tone."What would you like to drink?"

"Don't worry so much Jack; I'm sure it will taste just fine," Flora replied before taking a helping of steaming pasta and ladling sauce into her bowl."I'll have some tea if you don't mind making it."

"Some tea, no problem, I'll get that right away. Go ahead and start eating in the mean time."

Flora smiled and took a forkful of the spaghetti and put in her mouth. A smile instantly formed on her face a moment later. "Hey Jack, your spaghetti tastes really good!"

"I'm glad you like it," the farmer replied with a smile. "Pasta dishes like spaghetti are my specialty."

Jack joined her a short time later, placing a mug of steaming tea in front of her. As they dined, Flora gazed over at her love interest. "Hey Jack, I really want to thank you for earlier today."

Jack gave her a curious look. "You don't have to thank me for helping you out in the mine; it's my pleasure after all."

"No, that's not what I meant. I mean I do appreciate your help, but what I really meant was that I wanted to thank you for not snapping at me because Gray was there with me."

"You're welcome for that. I'll admit that when I saw you both working together I got a little jealous. But I trust you Flora."

His words had quite an impact on his girlfriend."Thank you for saying that Jack, you don't know how much it means to me."

Jack pushed himself away from the table and stood up. He moved over to his girlfriend and placed his arms around her, hugging her from behind. "I love you Flora, how could I not trust you?"

Flora felt her cheeks warm as she blushed. Getting up she turned and embraced her boyfriend lovingly. "I love you too Jack, and will never give you a reason to distrust me," she added before leaning forward and kissing him passionately.

They separate a moment later and Jack licked his lips. "Mmm, you taste like spaghetti sauce."

Flora giggled at the silly comment and sat back down at the table. "Let's finish up eating and go for a walk afterwords."

"That sounds like a good idea to me."

It took the couple another ten minutes to finish their dinner. Once they were done eating, Flora helped Jack to clear the table and to wash the dishes. Once everything was put away and cleaned up, Jack opened the door and they stepped out into the cool night air.

"Where would you like to walk to?" Jack asked his girlfriend.

"I was thinking that we could walk to the Goddess pond," Flora answered shyly. "It's quite peaceful there at night."

"Sure, that sounds fine to me."

As they made their way to the pond, Flora looked over at the brown haired man walking next to her. "It sure is a pretty night, don't you think so?"

Jack looked up at the glittering starry sky and then back over to the pretty girl walking next to him. "It sure is a pretty night."

At the Goddess pond they found a soft patch of grass and sat down on the edge of the moonlit pool. Flora looked at her boyfriend curiously. "Um, Jack, do you believe in the legend of the Harvest Goddess? I mean, no one has actually seen her after all."

"While it may be true that no one has actually seen her, I still believe in her existence," the farmer replied firmly. "Don't you believe in her too Flora?"

"I do… but sometimes I just feel that some things can't be controlled by the will of just one spirit. I mean, look at us. I don't think she had anything to do with us falling in love."

"I think her primary area of concern is nature and not as much what we do. She certainly has a pretty pond to live in."

Flora rested her head on Jack's shoulder and they remained at the pond for a little longer simply admiring the calm serenity and each other's company.

"Sorry to break up such a nice evening, but I really do need to get back to the farm," Jack informed as he helped Flora to her feet. "But first, I'll walk you home."

After escorting Flora back to her tent and an extended good-night kiss, the brown haired farmer headed back to his farm.

Once there he walked inside and was greeted by his pet meowing at him. He strolled over and plopped himself down on the couch. His feline friend joined him a moment later. "I'm going to make the call tomorrow and order it," he informed the purring cat lying in his lap. "I just hope they have one in stock."

Jack could feel sleep beginning to overtake him so he stood up and headed into the bedroom. There he changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed, pulling the soft comforter up over himself. Angel hopped up onto the bed and snuggled in next to her owner. "Good night Angel, sleep well sweetie."

**XXX**

When morning arrived, Jack heard the sounds of the roosters crowing from the nearby chicken coop. After getting up and taking a shower, the farmer got dressed and ate his breakfast quickly before heading out to tend to the affairs of his farm.

Just before noon he returned inside and walked directly over to the phone, picking it up the receiver. After a second or two of hesitation, he dialed the number of the supermarket over in Mineral Town. He listened intently as the line connected and the phone on the other end began to ring. After a brief wait, a girl's voice answered the phone.

"Hello, this is the Mineral Town Market, Karen speaking. How can I help you today?"

"Hello Karen, this is Jack Meyer over in Forget Me Not Valley and I'd like to place an order with you."

"Of course Jack, what would you like to order?"

"Um… well to be honest, I was wondering if you have any… if you have any blue feathers in stock," the farmer stammered nervously.

"I'll have to check, can you hold on a moment?" the girl on the other end responded before setting the phone down on the counter.

Several tense minutes later she returned with an answer. "You're in luck Jack; we've got one left in stock. Shall I put it aside for you?"

"Ah, I see, Hm… I can't make it to Mineral Town for a few days, is there any way that you could arrange for it to be delivered to me?"

"Well, normally we wouldn't deliver such items, but since you are a good customer Jack, I think I can consider this a special occasion. I'll arrange to have Popuri deliver it to you tomorrow when she visits Takakura. Would ten in the morning work for you?"

"Ten o'clock is fine for me; I'll be waiting for her then. Thank you for helping me with this Karen!"

"You're quite welcome Jack. Shall I put the amount on your tab?"

"No, I have too much on credit with you as is. How about I give Popuri the money and she can take it back with her?"

"Sure, that sounds fine with me. Thanks for doing business with us Jack!" Karen replied before hanging up the phone.

The farmer sighed a breath of relief. "Well, part one of this is completed. Now I just have to get things arranged at the bar."

Jack smiled and gave Angel a kiss on the top of her head. Grabbing a small brown leather satchel off of the kitchen table, he headed towards the door. As he walked towards the bar thoughts swirled around in his head. "_How would I propose to Flora? Worse…what if she rejects my proposal in front of everyone? Nah, she wouldn't do that… or would she?" _

He arrived at the bar just after four in the afternoon and walked inside. Since the tavern had only just opened, it was empty. As Jack approached the dark colored wooden bar, Muffy took notice and greeted him in her usually bubbly manner.

"Hey there Jack, you're here early today. There's nothing wrong, is there?"

"No, nothing's wrong, in fact I'd have to say it's quite the contrary, things couldn't be better," Jack explained. "Is Griffin around?"

"That's good. I was just a bit worried since I normally don't see you here this early. Griffin is in his office, would you like me to go and get him for you?"

"No thank you Muff, I need to talk to him about something in private," he replied, stepping around the side of the bar and heading toward the back room and the bar owners office. The farmer found the office door open and the sounds of Griffin's guitar emanating from the small room. Walking inside he found the bar's owner sitting in a chair strumming his guitar.

The elder man looked up and gave the farmer a smile. "Hello Jack, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Jack walked over and took a seat on a wooden crate across from the guitar playing barkeeper. "If possible, I'd like to arrange to have a special party here at the bar."

"A special party you say, what's the occasion if I may ask?"

"Um… ah, I'm ah… well I'm going to us the party to propose to Flora."

"Ah, that's wonderful news Jack!" Griffin said happily. "Let me be the first to congratulate you."

"Thanks, but for now I'd really like to keep things hush, hush if you know what I mean. Don't even tell Muffy if possible."

"Sure, sure, I can keep a secret no worries. So, when would you like to have this party and what can I do to help?" Griffin queried.

"Would next Friday be alright? I'm kind of hoping to get this over as soon as I can. My nerves are about shot."

Griffin took a moment to look at his calendar before answering. "Sure, next Friday is fine. It's all set, let me know if you need me to do anything special before then."

"Thank you Griffin, I will. I just hope things go as planned if you know what I mean."

The bartender smiled. "No worries Jack, I'm certain that everything will work out just fine."

**XXX**

For the next week Jack and Flora go about things as usual. Though Flora did wonder why her boyfriend seemed to be rather nervous about something.

The day before the party was scheduled to happen, Jack headed to the mine for his usual evening visit. As he approached the tent, he saw Carter standing outside. As he neared, he saw that the elder archeologist had a concerned look on his face.

"Hello Carter, is something troubling you?" The farmer queried curiously. "Is Flora around somewhere?"

"Flora is in the tent, but she's not feeling very well," Carter answered plainly. "Dr. Hardy just left ten minutes ago and he told her she has a cold. That's what has me concerned."

"Ah, I see. Is it alright if I go inside and visit her?"

The Professor smiled. "I think she'd like that Jack."

The farmer pushed open the canvas flap and walked inside. A small gasp escaped his lips when he saw his girlfriend lying in her bed. He quickly moved over to her and knelt down next to her bed.

"Hey Jack…" Flora muttered weakly as she tried to sit up.

Jack took immediate notice of the feverish color in her cheeks and placed his hand gently on her chest and pushed her back down. "Stay still sweetie, you need to get you rest," he cooed softly. "Is there anything I can get for you, maybe something to drink perhaps?"

Flora nodded at him weakly. "Can you make me some sweet herb tea?"

Jack smiled back at her. "Of course, just give me a moment."

"I hope that you're feeling better by tomorrow," Jack began as he handed Flora the steaming mug of tea. "I was planning to have a party to celebrate the success of my farm."

Flora sighed sadly; small tears began to well in the corners of her violet eyes."I hope I can make it."

Jack smiled back reassuringly, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You just relax and get some sleep. I'm sure you'll be feeling better in no time at all," Jack added before leaning forward and kissing her softly on the cheek. "Now just rest and don't worry about anything."

"Thank you Jack, you're so sweet," Flora cooed before resting her head back down on her pillow and closing her eyes to sleep.

Stepping outside Jack looked around and found Carter sitting on a nearby rock. He walked over to the man and stood in front of him. "Flora's sleeping now. I stopped by to invite both of you to a special party tomorrow evening at the Blue Bar."

"A special party, what's the occasion?" the elder man questioned curiously.

"It's a party to celebrate my success with the farm. I just want to get together and thank everyone who has helped me to get to where I am now."

Carter nodded in approval. "Sounds like a good time. I'm sure we'll be there as long as Flora is feeling better that is."

**XXX**

Once back on his farm Jack walked into the barn and made a quick check on the condition of his animals. Satisfied that everything was in order, he walked back to his house and went inside; there he flopped down on the couch.

Angel joined him a moment later, walking softly over to her owner and curling up in a furry ball in his lap. "I hope Flora feels well enough to go to the party tomorrow night. It would suck if she wasn't there since she's the whole reason I'm throwing it in the first place," he moaned to his pet in a worried tone. Angel gazed back at him and meowed softly, almost as if to say,_ "Don't worry about it."_

Sleep didn't come easily that evening for the nervous farmer but Jack was grateful when it finally did.

Sunlight hitting him in the eyes informed Jack that a new morning had arrived. Today was the day he hoped that his life would change dramatically and he hoped everything would go just as planned.

For the most part, Jack went about his daily chores just as he would do on any other day, starting in the barn with his cow Daisy.

"Good morning Daisy, I hope you are feeling well today," he greeted as he got the milking machine set up under her. While the machine took care of the milking Jack began brushing her black and white spotted coat. Soft contented moos filled Jack's ears as he moved the brush gently over the bovine's stiff coat. A beeping tone informed the farmer that the milking machine had finished. After disconnecting it Jack took the canister of fresh milk and placed it into the shipping bin. An armload of fresh fodder completed Daisy's care.

Cotton was next and as Jack opened the sheep's pen he stepped over next to the woolly ewe. Picking up the brush he began to work on Cotton's fluffy fleece. Today it took some extra time to brush the knots out of her soft fleece. But once he was finally done, the small sheep seemed much more comfortable. After giving her fresh food and water he headed out of the barn and over to his waiting chickens in their coop.

For the remainder of the day Jack puttered around in his fields. Removing weeds and watering the lush crops. Finally after a day that seemed to both last forever yet at the same time fly by, Jack exited the farm and headed towards the mine to pick up his girlfriend.

Arriving at the mine a short time later he found Carter waiting for him outside the tent. A feeling of dread washed over the young farmer as he approached, waiting for Carter to inform him that Flora was still feeling under the weather.

"Hello Carter, how is Flora feeling today? I hope she's well enough to go to the party."

"Hello Jack, Flora is doing better today. She's still a bit weak, but you can go on inside, I believe that she's waiting for you. I still have a few things I need to finish up, so I'll see you later at the bar."

Jack nodded and quickly walked into the tent. Inside he found Flora sitting on the edge of her bed. She still looked a little tired, but she was much improved from the day before.

"Hello Jack, I'm all set, shall we go then?" she asked, getting up to join him.

"Hi Flora, are you sure you feel up to this?"

The sandy haired girl nodded reassuringly. "I'm feeling much better than I was yesterday. It was just a cold after all."

"Alright, if you say so, but if you start to feel ill and you need to leave, just let me know."

They arrived at the bar after a short walk and Jack was pleased to see that just about everyone he invited had already arrived.

Muffy greeted the couple as they walked inside. "Hee hee, we have a special table prepared just for you Jack," Muffy giggled merrily as she led them to a brightly decorated table.

"Wow, this is really nice Jack!" Flora chirped in a cheery voice as she sat down. "You've really gone all out for this."

Jack smiled and sat down next to his girlfriend. "Have anything your heart desires tonight sweetie, the sky's the limit."

Flora gave her boyfriend a look of intrigue, but her thoughts were interrupted by Muffy asking for their drink order.

"I'll have draft beer," Jack replied.

'What would you like this evening Flora? The barmaid queried.

Flora smiled. "Well since this is a party, I'll have a pink moonbeam."

Muffy returned a short time later and placed their drinks down on brightly colored coasters in front of them. "If you want anything else, just let me know!"

For the next hour and a half Jack and Flora enjoyed several dances. The atmosphere in the bar was festive and generally good.

"Everything's ready for you Jack," Griffin informed the farmer with a big smile, placing something behind Jack's back just before he stepped away.

Flora looked over at her boyfriend curiously. "Everything's ready for what Jack?"

Jack stood up nervously and requested everyone to be quiet down for a moment. It took a few moments for it to quiet down sufficiently.

"What the heck is going on here Jack?" Flora asked again, this time with concern rising in her voice. Her question was answered a moment later as her boyfriend stepped in front of her and dropped down to one knee.

The blond gasped in shock and surprise as she immediately realized what was about to happen before her.

Jack looked up at the pretty blond haired girl before him and from behind his back; he took out a beautiful bright blue feather and offered it to her. "Flora, you are the most amazing person I know and I love you more than anything in this world. Would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Flora was momentarily stunned silent. However she soon regained her composure and with tears falling from her eyes she accepted the feather and answered Jack's question.

"I love you too Jack. To be honest, before I met you I could have never imagined that someone could love and care for me the way that you do. You are such a sweet man… so yes Jack, I would love to become your wife."

The bar's occupants erupted in loud applause as Jack stood up and embraced his fiancé happily. "I love you so much Flora! Thank you so much for making me the happiest man in the world."

"You're welcome Jack, you are such a sweet and caring man, how could I not want to spend the rest of my life with you? I love you so much!"

_Yeah, so Jack finally proposed and Flora accepted! I hope you liked this chapter, please leave a review and let me know. Thanks! _


	7. Tying the Knot

_Thanks to my reviewers.__** fuzzi fox, baby bear, roxas-kh, Lyoko Genex, kelley28, Florays, Momo-chan12, **__and __**AshRB. **__You guys are why I love to write! _

_**A/N:**__ Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up but I wanted to make sure it was the way what I wanted before I posted it. I hope the next chapter won't take as long._

_**Disclaimer:**__ Still not mine! _

_**Chapter 7: Tying the Knot **_

Once the initial shock of just becoming Jack's fiancé finally began to sink in, Flora quickly realized that she had a wedding to plan.

"Hey Muff, I'm going to need your help in planning the wedding party."

"That would be my pleasure Flora!" Muffy squealed in delight. "We can have the reception right here in the bar."

"Actually I was thinking of having both the wedding and the reception on Jack's farm," Flora replied as she looks over to Jack. "Does that sound alright with you?"

"Sure, I don't see a reason why not. At least then we'd have plenty of room." The farmer replied with a smile.

Griffin approached the happy couple; in his arms were a dark green colored bottle of champagne and two glasses. He set them down on the table in front of Jack and Flora. He then uncorked the bottle and poured the bubbly wine into the glasses.

"Jack and Flora please join all your friends here in Forget Me Not Valley in a toast. To the rest of your lives together, may you live a prosperous and happy life together as one."

Congratulations for them resonate throughout the bar as both Flora and her future husband stood and raised their glasses.

As the evening finally began to wind down and most of the party's guests have departed Jack and Flora prepared to leave as well. Griffin and Muffy say good-bye as they walked out the door.

"Wow, I can't believe that I'm going to be married soon," Flora said as she looked up at the starry sky. "This is… this is like some wonderful dream… I'm afraid though that at some point I'll wake up and I'll be back in mine… alone."

Jack grinned and reached over, playfully pinching his fiancé on the arm.

"Ouch that hurts Jack, what did you do that?" Flora questioned curiously, rubbing the spot on her arm gingerly.

"I did that to show you that you're wide awake Flora. This is not a dream and as long as I have breath in my body, you will never be alone."

Flora returned her fiancé's smile. "That's good to know, but did you have to pinch me so hard?"

"Aw… I didn't pinch you that hard," Jack laughed and turned to her, kissing the spot on her arm."I'll make it all better."

"Stop being so silly Jack," Flora giggled, playfully pushing the farmer away from her.

When they arrived at the mine a short time later, Jack kissed his fiancé good night and after she disappeared into the canvas structure, he began to walk back to his farm. He arrived just after one in the morning. Angel gave her owner a momentary glance as he trudged wearily over to his bed and collapsed in a heap on to it.

The following morning arrived with the sounds of thunder resonating throughout the valley, jarring the young farmer out of his slumber. Sitting up in his bed, Jack listened as the sound of falling rain drumming on the roof filled the otherwise still farmhouse.

Jack sighed and pushed his comforter off of himself. "Well at least the crops will get a nice drink," he chuckled as he climbed out of his bed and headed towards the shower.

After dressing the farmer headed into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee. Jack then walked over to the table and sat down. Angel joined him a moment later, hopping up onto the table and padding over to her owner. She gave him some curious meows, her golden eyes gazing intently as if to say, "_Tell me all about last night!"_

Jack smiled at his pet. "She said yes Angel! She said yes!" The calico colored feline purred happily and rubbed her face lovingly against her owner. Jack returned the affection by scratching his feline friend behind her ear.

**XXX**

On the other side of the valley Flora was getting ready to start her work in the mine when she noticed that Carter hadn't joined her in the mine. Curious she put her tools down and walked back over to the tent. She pushed open the canvas flap and stepped inside. There she saw Carter, sitting on the edge of his bed, his face in buried in his large hands.

Instantly concerned, Flora walked over to where her mentor was sitting. Carter just looked up at her, saying nothing. It was apparent by the redness in his eyes that he had been crying.

"Carter, what's wrong, why are you crying?"

The older man slowly turned his head and faced his student sitting next to him. "It's because… because you're going to marry Jack, that's why."

Flora gave the man a thoroughly confused look. "I don't quite understand what you mean Carter, aren't you happy for me?"

The Professor shook his head slowly. "To be quite honest Flora, no I'm not." Fresh tears begin to track their way down his face.

"Why would you say something like that? Do you have something you don't like about Jack? Please tell me the truth Carter."

The archeologist looked at Flora for a moment before answering her. "No, it has nothing to do with Jack. In fact I think he's a very nice young man."

"Then what has you so upset? Tell me please."

Carter sighed softly. "It's… it's because… I… I'm in love with you Flora."

Shocked by her boss's revelation of love, all the blond haired girl could do was gasp. After a moment the initial shock wore off and she was able to respond. "Are… are you absolutely sure about that Carter?" she questioned carefully. "I mean no offense, but you are just a bit older than I am and you don't really seem to show me a lot of affection."

"Yes I am quite sure of what I feel. I've felt that way for some time now and I've longed to express my love for you in a way that you would accept, but I could never bring myself to do it," he explained softly. "Now that Jack has proposed to you… it's too late for an old fool like me."

Flora sat on the edge of the bed completely stunned and unable to respond. Carter groaned and pushed himself up but Flora quickly grabbed his arm. "Please sit back down Carter," she said looking at him understandingly, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing. "I hope that in spite of this… you will still allow me to work here in the mine and continue to instruct me. I also hope that… that we can still remain friends."

The elder man gave the blond haired girl sitting next to him and apologetic look. "I'm sorry for this Flora… I suppose if I really had true feelings for you… I could have found a way to tell you. I was never the best of person to you… always criticizing your cooking and such. I suppose that I can understand why you fell for Jack; he's a much better man than I am after all. Furthermore he's the same age as you whereas I'm a foolish and ugly old man."

Flora gave her mentor a small smile. "Don't be so hard on yourself, you're not old; you just have more life experience than I do. You're not ugly ether and I'm sure that somewhere out there a special girl is waiting just for you."

Carter nodded. "I guess that's one way of looking at it. Thank you for telling me that."

"So what do you think… still friends?"

"Sure, I don't see a reason why not," he replied simply. "I do expect you to be on time every morning… Just because you're going to get married is no reason to forget your studies."

A relieved look filled Flora's face as she got up and started to head over to her side of the tent.

"Um.., Flora, congratulations on your engagement, I hope that you and Jack have a wonderful life together."

Flora smiled happily. "Thank you Carter, it really means a lot to me to hear you say that."

**XXX**

For almost all of the following week, Flora's free time was spent with Muffy, Karen and Celia planning the wedding and of course picking out her gown.

"Will you be having the ceremony in Mineral Town since there is no chapel here in the valley?" Karen asked curiously.

"Actually Jack and I want to have the wedding here on the farm." Flora replied in a cheery voice. "I've already spoken to Pastor Carter and made the arrangements. He told me that he was more than happy to conduct the ceremony here."

"Have you thought about what sort of a gown you would like to have?" Celia questioned with piqued interest. "Will it be traditional style or a more modern one?"

Flora considered the brown haired girl's question for a moment. "To be honest I really don't have a real preference between the two. Perhaps I could have one that would mix both styles together."

Karen beamed and held up a bridal magazine. "Well if that's the case then I have the perfect dress right here." She held out the page and pointed to a large color picture." "I think this design would fit perfectly with your features Flora, don't you think so Muffy?"

The blond barmaid stepped over and took a closer look at the picture and instantly agreed with Karen."I think it's very cute and would look stunning on you Flora!"

"Oh I agree," Celia gushed as she examined the picture. "I think you will make a very beautiful bride."

Flora on the other hand seemed a bit skeptical. "I don't know… it is a pretty color though."

It took several more minutes of cajoling from the girls but Flora finally made up her mind, settling on the dress that Karen had picked out.

"Good choice Flora, I'll have my Dad get that ordered it right away. That way we'll have time to make any alterations if we need to."

Together with Celia and Muffy, the Mineral Town girl began to measure and record Flora's measurements. Once done Karen headed back to Mineral Town to place the order and Celia departed for home.

"Come on Flora, let's go to the bar and have a drink. I'll even have Griffin make us something special," Muffy offered.

"Thanks for the offer Muff, but I'm going go and see Jack," Flora replied. "But maybe we'll stop by later for a drink."

"Well, I guess I can't compete with Jack!" Muffy giggled in her trademark bubbly tone. "See ya then!"

**XXX**

As Flora headed towards her fiancé's farm a thought crossed her mind. _"Soon I'm going to become a farmer's wife and I have almost no clue how to run a farm!"_ Nervously she began to play with her hair, twirling it nervously in her fingers. _"But I'm sure Jack will teach me what I need to know... at least, I hope he will."_

Walking through the white colored gate that marked the entrance to the farm, the sandy haired girl walked towards the barn in hopes of finding her fiancé there. Jack looked up from the project he was working on and noticed Flora approaching. Setting down his hammer he stood up and walked over to greet her.

"Hello Flora, nice to see you! How are you feeling today?"

"It's nice to see you too Jack! I missed you," she smiled back. "I'm feeling fine, how are you?"

"I feel so much better now that you're here and in my arms," he answered, pulling Flora into a warm embrace.

They separated a few moments later and walked over to the house. Jack opened the door and allowed the pretty blond inside. Flora smiled and walked over to the table and took a seat.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Jack asked curiously.

Flora nodded. "Some iced tea would be nice." Jack smiled as he went to get the iced tea, and put the liquid in two cups.

"Guess what I just found out," Flora chirped as Jack set down two glasses of iced tea on the table. "I finally heard back from my best friend, you know, the one I told you about from the university. Well she told me that she can come to the wedding, isn't that great news!"

"That's great! Have you heard back from anyone else besides her?"

"Sure have, my parents and my sister both said that they can come. What about you? Have you heard from anyone?"

"Well, so far I've heard back from my parents and they said that they are coming. I've also heard back from a long time friend of mine and he's going to attend as well. But I'm still waiting to hear back from my sister."

"Well, I hope she can make it. It would be a shame if she missed her brother's wedding," Flora replied plainly. "Would you like to head over to the bar for a little while?'

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea, but I can't stay too late."

Flora smiled. "Sure I understand you have to get up pretty early to run a farm after all."

Jack nodded in agreement. "So true, so very true…" Taking hold of his girlfriend's hand they headed out the gate and over to the bar for a nice evening together.

**XXX**

As the sun began its trek into the sky the next day Jack sat at the kitchen table and pondered his future. "I never thought that I could ever meet a girl as special as Flora," he informed Angel while scratching her under the chin.

The multicolored feline purred happily and rubbed her face against her owners as if to say _"I agree totally."_

"Hee hee, I hope you don't get to jealous once Flora begins to live here with us," he teased his pet playfully. "I mean she is probably going to take some of my attention away from you."

Angel gave her owner a curious glare. She meowed in a deep throaty way as if to say, _"I'm still top cat around here, don't you ever forget that."_

Jack grinned and gave her head a playful pat before heading out to the barn to begin his chores.

**XXX**

Unfortunately for Flora, her morning had gotten off to a much less desirable start.

"Hey lazy bones are you going to get up and make breakfast sometime before noon?" Carter questioned from the tents doorway. "I'm starving here!"

Flora rolled over and glared at the elder man angrily. "If you're so hungry, then why don't you just go to the Inn for breakfast? I have a headache and don't feel like cooking right now."

"I don't want to walk all the way to the Inn," he whined childishly. "Geez, if this is any indication of the kind of wife you're going to be, I really feel sorry for Jack."

Carter jumped back and retreated quickly when Flora angrily threw one of her boots at him.

"Alright, alright, I'll go to the Inn for breakfast. Geez, you don't have to throw things at me to get your point across," he grunted loudly before heading off towards the Inn, muttering something about Ruby's cooking tasting better anyway.

With a contented sigh Flora rolled back over and pulled the sheets back over her head. _"Jerk… I can't wait to finally get out of here," _she muttered before closing her eyes and trying to get back to sleep.

Flora woke up a couple of hours later and was relieved to find that her headache was gone. She pushed the covers back and swung her legs out of the cot. Standing up, she got dressed and headed over to the mine. Opening the door and walking inside she found Carter and Gray already hard at work unearthing a ruby broach.

Her mentor gave her a wry look as she joined them at the excavation site."Well, I'm glad you were finally able to make it in… can you help Gray finish with this? I have some research I need to do, so I'll be going over to the library in Mineral Town for the rest of the day," he added as he got up and dusted himself off. "I'll be back sometime later tonight."

"Be sure to say hi to Mary for me while you're there," Gray chirped.

Carter nodded and waved in reply as he headed out the mines exit leaving Flora and Gray alone.

"Who's Mary?"

"She's the librarian at the Mineral Town Library," he explained. "She's a sweet girl and I often spend time reading with her there."

Flora took quick notice of the redness filling the blacksmith's cheeks."Hm.., by the look of things, I think you may just like her…am I right?"

"I, um…, that is, ah…" he spluttered.

Flora grinned widely. "I thought so. Say, how about you bring her to the wedding? You know, as a friend."

"I'll ask her, but I don't know if she's free on that day," he replied.

With that the two set about the task of removing the artifact, a process that took most of the afternoon to complete. Jack arrived at the mine just about the time they were finishing. Gray gave the farmer a friendly smile as he walked over to them.

"Hi guys what's up? Hard at work I see."

Flora smiled and held up the recently unearthed artifact. "We just finished removing this tablet and since Carter's gone for the day I was thinking we could call it quits a little early."

"Hey Jack, I have an idea. Let's you and I head over to the bar and have a drink," Gray asked hopefully. He then looked over at Flora. "Um… sorry Flora, but you can't come since this is going to be a guy's only thing."

The blond narrowed her violet eyes at both of them. "Well… I guess it will be alright. But the two of you better not cause any trouble."

"Don't worry Flora, I'll make sure he gets tucked in a safe and sound tonight," Gray chuckled.

Jack eyed the blacksmith's apprentice wryly. "Um, I'll tuck myself in alone if you don't mind." He gave his fiancé a warm hug and a sweet kiss before heading out of the mine behind the boy from Mineral Town.

They arrived at the bar a short time later and walked inside, Jack took a quick look around a bit and realized that there were no girls present. Even the bar's bubbly hostess Muffy is absent.

The farmer gave the tavern's owner a curious look. "Hey, where's Muffy at?"

"She's not here; I gave her the night off," Griffin began as he moved over and placed his arm around Jack's shoulder. "Tonight my friend, it's just us guys… celebrating our friend's last days of freedom."

Gray smiled and along with Griffin, led Jack over to a table near the bar. There he found Marlin and Carter sitting there waiting for him.

"Come on and sit down Jack!" Marlin laughed as he placed a tall frosty mug of beer in front of the farmer. "Tonight we celebrate!"

Jack happily accepted the frosty brew and took a seat across from Marlin. "Sounds like a good idea to me!"

For the next several hours the men drink and toast the young farmer. All while consuming large quantities of beer and liquor.

"H… h, hey Jack… I wanna tell you sumptin…" Carter slurred drunkenly. "You know what? You are one lucky guy, you know that? I mean Flora's a special kind of girl so you gotta treat her right."

"Hey man, chill… don't you think I know that already," he giggled in reply. "I love her with all my heart and would do anything to make her the happiest girl in the world! So don't go getting your undies in a bunch!"

Carter slammed his half empty mug down on the wooden table. "You just make sure that you do that and that you remain faithful to her. If you screw up even just a little, I'll find you and personally kick your ass into next week!"

"Oh yeah, you and what army pops…?" Jack retaliated.

"Hey that's enough of that crap… you two sit back down and knock it off. We're supposed to be celebrating here, we don't need any fighting," Gray stammered as he struggled to get his legs to support his drunken self.

"Yeah, now sit down and have another drink," Marlin added, filling both men's mugs from a pitcher on the table.

Another hour of celebrating passed before Griffin stood and placed his glass on the table. "Sorry to say this fellas, but I think it's time I closed the bar and we let Jacky there… get some sleep!"

"Yeah, big day tomorrow…" Marlin giggled. "You're going to have one hell of a hangover…"

"How the hell are you gonna to make it back to Mineral Town Gray?" Jack spluttered curiously as he watched the apprentice blacksmith wobble back and forth. "I mean, you're totally hammered."

Gray shook his head in a vain attempt to clear his vision. "I'm crashing at the Inn tonight. I set it up last week when Griffin first mentioned this. I figured since it was your bachelor party, we'd end up gettin pretty hammered," he added between hiccups.

"Gray, you need a hand gettin to the inn?" Marlin questioned.

"Nah, I got it… thanks though."

The four men finished their drinks and after saying good night, head off towards their homes.

On the way back to his farm, Jack thought a lot about his future bride. A broad smile crossed his face as he imagined the wedding… _soon he would be married to the girl of his dreams. _He arrived home and after a quick check on Angel he climbed into bed. As he closed his eyes he hoped his dreams would be visited by a certain blonde archeological student.

**XXX**

The morning of the wedding dawned warm and sunny in Forget Me Not Valley, perfect weather for the special occasion about to take place there.

Smiling from her place high above the lush green trees of the valley, The Harvest Goddess gazed down at the people beginning to gather on the farm. "This beautiful weather is my gift to you Jack. It is my wish that both you and Flora have a wonderful and prosperous life together," she cooed softly before fading away.

Jack tinkered idly with his tools; he had been exiled to the barn since early that morning when Karen, Muffy, and Celia had shown up to help Flora get ready for the big day. Sitting there on the wooded stool he normally used to milk Daisy, he twiddled his thumbs nervously anxious for the day's events to get underway.

"Hm, I wonder if that's what I looked like before I married your mom," A man's voice filled the barn. "You look like a wreck son, long night last night?"

Jack looked up and smiled when he saw his dad standing in the barns doorway. "Yeah, the guys took me out for a bachelor party and … well, I guess I had a few too many, that and I'm so nervous about this whole thing," he replied as he got up and walked over to where his dad was standing. "Um, dad… were you scared when you married mom?" he asked softly.

"Son, I was absolutely terrified about the whole thing! But I also knew that marrying your mother was going to be the best thing that ever happened to me. And you know what? I was right. I'm sure that you and Flora will make a wonderful couple."

Jack nodded and gave his father a smile. "Thanks dad that means a lot coming from you."

"You're welcome son…"

_"Hey, I found him, he's in the barn…."_ was heard for outside the barn and a moment later Gray pushed open the large wooden door and walked inside.

"Jack my friend…, you are one hard person to find," he said with a smile. "Um, why are you out here in the barn and not the house?"

"Are you kidding me… the girls kicked me out so that they could get Flora ready," Jack answered. "They said it was something about it being bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony begins."

Jack's dad watched curiously as the boy from Mineral Town strode over to his son. As he did, he chuckled to himself at Gray's attire. _"A formal suit and tie topped it off with a baseball cap… kids these days!" _

"Dad I'd like you to meet my friend Gray. He works part time with Professor Carter and Flora at the excavation site."

"It's nice to meet you Gray," Jack's father greeted, extending his hand towards the blacksmiths assistant.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well Sir," Gray replied as he accepted the handshake. "Hey the reason I was looking for you Jack is to make sure you're ready. Pastor Carter is here and I think things are just about to begin."

Jack adjusted his suit and gulped. "Well, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," the farmer replies sounding quite nervous. "Did Mary come with you Gray?'

"Yes she did. In fact she's outside mingling as we speak," Gray replied happily. "I'll introduce you to her after the ceremony."

"And speaking of the ceremony… I believe it's about to begin," Jack's dad said proudly. "Let's go son, just remember to breathe. It's rather embarrassing to pass out at your own wedding!"

Jack followed Gray and his father out of the barn and into the yard. He then headed over to a small stage that had been set up in the middle of the yard. There he joined Pastor Carter who was standing at the center of the wooden platform. Both men turn and face the group of people gathered in front of the stage. The priest waved over to Ann who began to play the weeding march on the piano. As she did so, the door to the farm house opened

First out was the flower girl Kate dressed in a cute blue and yellow dress. As she walked towards the stage she carefully spread flower pedals in front of the door and along a path that led up to the stage. Next to step outside was Karen. She was quickly followed by Muffy and Celia. All three women were dressed in identical soft pink bridesmaid dresses. As they near the stage Jack does a quick double take when he saw Angel cradled in Celia's arms.

The last to step outside was Jack's beautiful bride. She is wearing a traditional white gown that is cut just above her knees. There are several pastel pink ribbons around her waist and the gown was short sleeved. Her long sandy blonde hair is down and has been given a slight wave. She wasn't wearing her glasses and a pretty red flower in her hair highlights her face.

Flora walked down the center of the people and joined Jack at the center of the stage. Kate, Muffy, Celia, and Karen walked onstage as well and took a position behind the priest and the couple.

Jack and Flora joined hands and turn to face Pastor Carter who begins the ceremony a moment later.

In Jack's mind things seemed to blur together as he stood next to Flora and listened to the priest's words. However before he knew it Carter turned and looked at him.

"Jack, do you take Flora to be your wife? To forever love her and cherish her through sickness and in health. To love and protect her through the best of times and through the most difficult of times?"

Jack glanced momentarily at Flora before looking back at the priest. "I do," he answered happily as he placed the silver wedding ring onto Flora's finger.

The same question was then posed to Flora. "I do," she answered as tears begin to fall from her pretty violet eyes. She too placed a silver wedding band on her husband's finger before turning back towards the waiting priest.

"By the powers vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Flora turned to her husband and kissed him sweetly. Jack immediately returned the kiss and after a moment they separated and turn and face their cheering friends and family. The happy couple stepped down from the stage they were joined by their friends and family for the reception.

"Congratulations Flora!" a woman with long dark brown hair, sapphire blue eyes and wearing a sky blue dress said as she hugged Jack's bride happily. "That was a beautiful ceremony and your gown is simply stunning."

They ended the hug a moment later and turned to face the farmer. "Jack, I'd like you to meet my best friend Monica," Flora began. "She was my roommate back when I was at the university."

"It's very nice to finally meet you Jack; Flora has told me so much about you," Monica chirped in a cheery voice as she hugged the farmer. "I'm so happy that she was able to find such a wonderful man to share her life with."

"It's nice to meet you too Monica," Jack said returning the hug.

"So, Momo-chan, how do you like our town?" Flora questioned curiously.

"Well, it's certainly a lot smaller than the city, that's for sure. In fact, I sort of like the coziness of it."

Jack gave his wife a curious look. "Momo-chan, I thought you said that her name was Monica?"

"Her name is Monica; Momo-chan is just a nickname I gave her while we were at college."

Jack nodded and watched as he bride and her best friend chatted, catching up with what had been happening in each other's lives.

"Hey, I'll catch up with you a little later and we can talk more about old times," Monica said before heading towards the refreshment table to have a snack.

Jack turned and saw Celia still cradling his cat in her arms and walked over to her. "Um, Celia, just why did you bring Angel out here with you?"

"Well, she was with us the whole time we were getting Flora ready for the ceremony," Celia began to explain. "When we tried to go outside she stood in front of the door and wouldn't move! She was meowing so loudly and when I finally picked her up she stopped." The brown haired girl giggled as she scratched Jack's cat happily."I guess she wanted to be part of the ceremony too."

The party's festivities went on for the remainder of the day and everyone had a good time toasting and congratulating the new couple. And as night fell on the happy couple they bid farewell to the last remaining party guests and head inside.

"I can't believe it." Flora sighed happily. "We're finally married!"

Jack wrapped his arms around his wife's slim waist and looked deeply into her pretty violet eyes. "Flora there is no one in this world I'd rather be with then you. I love you more than life itself. I've never been so happy in my entire life!"

"I love you too Jack, more than anything," Flora replied sweetly before kissing him. "I never want to be away from you… ever."

…_and cut! Yeah! Jack and Flora are finally husband and wife! I hope everyone liked this chapter. Please don't forget to leave me a review to let me know. Thanks! _


	8. A New Start

_Huge thanks to all my reviewers. __**Momo-chan12, roxas-kh, Wing Omega, Hay Lin Rox, Lapizlazuli, fuzzi fox, Florays, AshRB, **__and __**like red on a rose. **__You guys rock the house! _

_**Disclaimer:**__ I still don't own Harvest Moon, yet! _

_**Chapter 8: A New Start**_

The chorus of his roosters woke Jack from his slumber and as he opened his eyes and looked at the still slumbering blond next to him a smile filled his face. Today he would begin his life anew, along with his wife Flora at his side.

"Good morning sweetie, time to rise and shine," he cooed sweetly, giving her a gentle nudge.

"Ugh, what time is it Jack?"

"It's just after six in the morning. I take it you didn't get up quite so early over at the mine?"

Flora nodded her head in agreement and pulled the blanket back over her. Jack smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before getting out of bed and heading towards the shower to get ready for the day.

Flora closed her eyes and pulled the covers up over her head. _"Getting up this early is going to take some getting used to."_

After his shower Jack headed out to the barn to get busy with his daily chores. Flora listened as the door closed behind her husband as he headed outside to tend to the farm. A moment later she sat up and climbed out of bed. After getting cleaned up and dressed she then headed over to the kitchen and began to work on preparing breakfast.

After completing the morning chores and making sure that his animals were properly tended to, Jack headed back to the house to see if Flora had finally woken up. As he approached a delicious scent began to entice his nose. Curious as to its origin, he opened the door and walked inside.

"Good morning Jack!" Flora chirped happily. "How do you like your eggs cooked?"

"Good morning Flora," he replied happily. "I like my eggs cooked sunny side up."

Flora smiled. "Sure I can do that." Turning her attention back to the stove in front of her, the sandy haired girl cracked two eggs and deposited the contents into a pan.

Jack walked over to the table and sat down, watching as his wife prepared their breakfast. "Do you need me to help you with anything?" he asked curiously.

Flora nodded and smiled. "Sure, can you make some us some toast?"

"Coming right up sweetie," Jack replied getting up and walking over to the toaster.

"Thank you for the help Jack; you don't know how much I appreciate it." Flora sighed as she continued to cook. "I hate to say it, but Carter never did anything like that for me."

"To be honest, I was kind of surprised to see you up already," Jack chuckled. "When did you normally wake up at the mine?"

"Well, Carter was usually up pretty early, but I liked to sleep in," Flora admitted in a slightly embarrassed tone. "Most days I normally slept till eight or nine in the morning."

"Wow, I see! By that time in the morning I usually have all the chores done already." Jack replied with a laugh. "Getting up so early in the morning is certainly going to be a challenge for you."

Flora sighed. "You're telling me…"

After finishing the preparations they sat down and together begin to eat, as they do Flora looked over at her husband.

"Um, Jack, may I ask you something?"

"Of course, what's on your mind?" the farmer replied.

"Well, um… I was sort of wondering if, well maybe I could still go to the mine and work there sometimes," she asked softly.

Jack thought about the request for a moment then smiled at his wife. "Sure, I see no problem with you doing that."

"Thank you Jack, I'll be sure to make sure that all my chores here are finished first before I go."

Soft meows filled their ears and Jack ducked under the table. A moment later he reemerges holding Angel lovingly in his arms.

"Good morning sweetie," he cooed to the calico colored cat. Angel purred contently as Jack scratched her under her chin. Flora watched intently as her husband poured affection over the cat. After a little bit, he returned his furry friend back to the floor and went back to eating his breakfast.

"She's very special to you isn't she?" Flora asked curiously.

Jack nodded. "She sure is. Next to you, she's my best friend."

"I can tell, she is a sweet cat and I'm glad that she seems to have accepted me."

**XXX**

With their breakfast done and the dishes washed and put away, Jack turned to Flora and grinned. "So, ready to learn how things run on a farm?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be; just show me what needs to be done."

Together they head out to the barn. Jack pushed open the large wooden door and Flora followed him inside. Their first stop is Cotton's pen.

"Do you remember how to brush Cotton's fleece?" he asked curiously, handing her the brush.

The blond nodded her head and opened the door and eagerly entered the ewe's pen. Inside Cotton moved over to the side of her enclosure in anticipation. Flora bent down and began to brush the small woolly animal. Cotton's happy _baas_ told Jack that his wife had indeed remembered what to do. Happily Flora smiled back at him. "See I remembered how to do it!"

Jack grinned as he watched his wife finish up. "That was very good; you can tell that Cotton liked it too."

"I noticed that she didn't struggle or anything. I assume that's a good thing."

Jack nodded. "It sure is. It shows that she trusts you to brush her. You'll learn that most all animals can sense if you mean to harm them or of you will treat them with love."

After finishing up with Cotton, they walk over to Jack's black and white spotted bovine Daisy. There Flora helped her husband to clean her pen and to brush and feed the cow. She then watched as he demonstrated how to set up the milking machine.

"Does she have to be milked every day?" Flora questioned curiously as she watched Jack hook up the machine to the cow's udder.

"Yes, she needs to be milked every day unless she's pregnant."

"Doesn't that hurt her? It doesn't look like it would be very pleasant," she asked pointing to the tubes attached to the cow's udder.

"No it doesn't bother her at all, the machine is very gentle."

Flora watched intently as the machine went about its job of pumping the milk from the cow. She glanced up at Daisy, who was munching idly on some fodder as though nothing was happening.

"It really doesn't seem to bother her at all."

"I told you it didn't," Jack teased.

With the barns residents all taken care of, they headed over to the chicken coop. Jack smiled at his wife's displeased expression as they walked inside the small building.

"Ugh, I don't think I'll ever get used to the smell in here," she muttered, holding her nose in a vain attempt to filter out the foul smell.

"As I remember from your visit, you were a little scared of the chickens last time," Jack said as he walked over to one of his hens. "Would you like to try collecting the eggs again?"

Flora gulped at the very thought of it, however she was determined to become a farmer's wife, even if that meant that she would have to learn to harvest the eggs from the nests. "Sure, I'd like to give it another try," she replied hesitantly. Walking over to the nest boxes, she faced the hen perched there. With a quick motion she reached under the bird and removed the egg.

With confidence overflowing she then placed the egg into the basket and moved on to the next hen, repeating the task of removing the egg. Jack observed her actions as she removed the eggs, making sure that she didn't hurt the hens. After collecting all the eggs, Flora helped to feed and water the birds. Finally they walked back outside and Flora gulped in the fresh air. "Whew, I'm glad that's over; I really don't like the chickens."

"I see… well I guess I'll have to tend the chickens by myself then," Jack retorted in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Hey I'm sorry Jack, but I just don't like chickens," Flora replied sadly. "They really creep me out, and that smell… whew!"

Together they headed over to the shipping bin and Jack demonstrated to Flora how to properly use it.

"So we just have to put whatever we harvest in here and it gets picked up automatically?"

"That's right. Thomas, the mayor over in Mineral Town is usually the one who picks things up. They automatically credit the amount to our account so we don't even need to worry about being here when they come for a pickup."

"That's a pretty convenient way of handling that."

"I suppose it is. Though I have to admit, when I found out that Thomas was the mayor of Mineral Town, I wondered why he was the one making the pick-ups. So I asked Takakura about it and he told me not to worry about it and to just drop the subject."

Flora nodded and followed her husband over to a field currently planted with corn plants. "Now the fun really begins." Jack informed semi sarcastically as they walked into the field.

Together they spend the next couple of hours weeding and watering the plants. An exhausted looking Flora glanced over at Jack. "Whew, this kind of work is really going to take some getting used to." She gasped as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "And I thought excavating in the mine was difficult."

"It does, I remember when I first started farming the work nearly killed me!" he laughed. "Come on Flora, let's take a break and eat some lunch."

"That sounds like a good idea to me."

Flora got up and after dusting off her hands she reached out and took hold of her husband's hand. Together they walked back to the house and went inside. As Flora took a seat at the table, Jack walked over to the kitchen and began to prepare some lunch for them. As he worked on the preparations, Flora joined him and watched intently as he created two submarine sandwiches.

"I really like how your sandwiches taste Jack," she chirped. "And they really don't look all that hard to make either."

"Yes, they're pretty simple to make," Jack replied. "But they're yummy none the less." Once he's finished Flora helped him to set the table and together they sit down to eat.

"I wonder how Carter's doing at the mine now that he's on his own," Flora mused curiously. "I guess now he'll know what it's like to have to do some work for a change."

"I doubt that he'll do any work. He's probably already trying to work out a deal with Gray's Grandfather to have him spend more time at the mine."

"Maybe, but I'm sure Carter is able to handle things… at least, I hope that he can." Flora sighed.

"You really do care for him, don't you?"

"Yes… well, I do still consider him to be a friend and mentor to me. He took me under his wing and taught me... even though he had no obligation to do that. I somehow feel like I owe him for that…"

"That's understandable so no worries!"

After relaxing for a little while longer, they head back outside to continue working. The remainder of the day was spent back in the fields clearing debris, watering the lush green plants and pulling out the seemingly ever-present weed!

As the sun began to set on her first day as a farmer, Flora collapsed in a heap on the couch. "Whew, I'm totally wiped out," she mumbled in an exhausted voice. "Sorry that I wasn't more helpful out there."

"Don't worry about that. For your first day I think you did just fine," Jack said as he moved over behind his wife and began to gently massage the stiff muscles in her shoulders. "As the days go on, you'll get used to things and it will get better, trust me on that."

"Ah, that feels great Jack, thank you," she sighed. "I'm sure things will improve…"

After dinner they decided to call it an early evening. After a nice hot shower a very grateful Flora headed over to their bed and lay down. A moment later, Jack joined her and wrapped his arms lovingly around her, pulling her body against his own.

"Good night sweetie, I love you," he cooed happily before giving her a sweet kiss.

"I love you too Jack, sleep well my love."

"I'll always sleep well with you here in my arms sweetie. Let's get some much needed shut eye."

**XXX**

For the remainder of the week things continued to go well and with each passing day, Flora did begin to get used to her new life as a farmer.

The sounds of thunder echoing across the valley and rain pelting the roof of their farmhouse greeted the young couple as they began another day on their farm. Flora got up and began her new morning routine by starting to prepare breakfast while Jack took a shower. By the time he finished Flora already had the table set and the meal prepared. Together they sat down to eat.

"Um, Jack, since it's raining and we can't work in the fields today, would you mind if I paid a visit to Carter at the mine?"

"Sure, I think that's a great idea. I'm sure Carter will be happy to see you."

"Thank you Jack, I'll be back before dinner time."

After finishing breakfast Jack headed out to the barn and Flora headed in the direction of the mine. She arrived a short time later and casually walked into the cave.

"Morning Carter, um… are you in here somewhere?" she shouted after looking around and not finding the archeologist.

"Is that you Flora?" he called out curiously. "I'm over here near the back corner of the mine."

Flora walked towards the sound of her mentor's voice and found him working on excavating a lithograph. "You look busy, can I help you?" she asked him curiously.

Carter nodded and wiped the perspiration from his brow. "Yeah, if you don't mind, can you finish this while I do some research?"

The blond haired girl nodded in agreement and waited for Carter to climb up the wooden ladder and out of the hole. As he stepped aside Flora swung her leg over the edge and began to descend into the depths of the hole.

"Hey Flora, it's a little slippery down there be careful," he warned as Flora descended deeper into the hole. Unfortunately his warning was just a few seconds to late.

Flora's scream echoed within the confines of the cavern as her feet slipped out from under her and she tumbled into the damp hole, landing hard on the rocky bottom.

"Dammit…" Carter mumbled as he quickly descended into the hole and moved over to where Flora was laying in obvious pain. "Oh crap… Flora are you alright?"

"No," she groaned. "My arm hurts real bad… I think I might have broken it. It's bleeding too…"

"Damn, this isn't good… stay here, and don't move, I'm going to get Dr. Hardy and bring him here," Carter informed as he climbed back out of the hole. "I'll be right back, just hang tight"

It took an agonizingly long twenty minutes for Carter to finally return with Dr. Hardy. After Hardy immobilized her injured arm, they help Flora out of the hole and then over to the clinic. There the doctor full examined and began to treat her injured arm. While this is going on, Carter left to get Jack.

"Hm, you're quite lucky young lady, you're arm is not broken. You do have a bad laceration and some deep bruising it looks worse than it actually is. I'll have to stitch up that cut, but you should be alright in about a week or so."

"I see…" Flora muttered. "Will I need to keep my arm immobilized?"

"For about a week… I'd like to keep it that way at least until I remove those stitches."

Right about that time Jack burst into the clinic with Carter following closely behind him. He immediately ran over to his wife. "What happened to you Flora, are you alright? Carter said that you fell in the mine."

The sandy haired girl sighed softly. "My foot… my foot slipped on the rungs of the ladder when I was trying to climb down into a hole. When I fell I injured my arm, Dr. Hardy says that I'll have to keep it immobilized for at least a week or so. I… I hope you're not angry with me because of this."

"I'm not mad so don't worry about that. I'm just very concerned and glad that you weren't badly hurt, that's all."

Overwhelmed by her emotions Flora began to sob. "Oh Jack, with my arm like this… I can't help you with our farm. I'm so sorry…"

"Hey sweetie, don't worry about it, everything will be alright," he reassured softly, hugging her warmly and using his finger to wipe the tears from her pretty violet eyes. "It was an accident, nothing more."

Her husband's loving embrace helped Flora to quickly re-gain her composure. "Will you still let me work in the mine after this?" she asked softly.

"Of course I will. Like I said, this was an accident. Just try and be a little more careful next time."

The blond nodded. "Thank you Jack, you have my word on that!"

The farmer then looked over to Dr. Hardy who was standing nearby. "Can she go home now doctor?"

"Of course she can," he answered. "Just try to keep the use of you arm to a minimum for the next couple of days and come back in a week so that I can take a look at it."

Before leaving the doctor's office Jack gave Carter a small smile. "Thank you for getting Hardy and for bringing her here. At least I know that she's in good hands when she's with you."

"Sure, it was no problem… hope she's alright," he replied softly.

As Jack and Flora walked out of the doctor's office and began to make their way back to the farm the rain that had fallen for most of the day has finally ended and the sun had begun to peek through the clouds. A colorful rainbow caught their eye as they approach the farms gate. Jack glanced over and noticed that Flora was completely enthralled with the rainbow.

"It's very pretty isn't it? Just like you Flora."

Her husband's words warmed the blond haired girl's heart and she looks at him lovingly. "Oh Jack, I… I love you so much!" she stammered loudly, tears forming in the corners of her pretty eyes. "I'm so sorry for worrying you earlier."

Jack wrapped his arms lovingly around his wife. "Please stop blaming yourself about what happened, stuff happens you know! Come on, cheer up sweetie."

Flora nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. She gazed at the beautiful colors of the rainbow and smiled. _"I've never had someone care so much for me before, it feels so wonderful though. Such a warm feeling in my heart." _

Once safely inside their home Jack made sure that Flora was comfortable on the couch. "Just relax here and I'll get dinner going."

"Thank you Jack, I really appreciate that." Flora sighed before closing her eyes to rest.

**XXX**

Several weeks passed and Flora's arm healed without any complications. She also continued to become accustomed to her new life on the farm.

"Hey Jack," Flora greeted as her husband walked back inside after finishing his morning chores. "I went ahead made you some lunch," she giggled, pointing to a large sandwich waiting on the table.

"Thank you sweetie, this sandwich looks really tasty." The farmer sat down and took a bite of the sandwich, pausing for a moment. "Mm, this tastes different… did you put something other than the normal ingredients on it?"

Flora nodded and smiled. "I added mustard this time. Do you like it?"

"Sure do. I never would have thought of adding mustard to it before. What made you think of doing that?"

Flora shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not really sure to be honest. I like the taste of mustard and thought that it might blend well with the other ingredients. I guess I was right."

"Well I sure thought it was a good combination. I'll have to remember to use mustard from now on whenever I make subs," Jack added happily.

"Oh Jack, I almost forgot… tomorrow is the Fireworks Festival. We're going right?"

"Sure we are! After all, it will be our first festival as a married couple," Jack replied with a grin.

**XXX**

The next day Jack and Flora were hard at work replacing some rotten woodwork on their barn. The task took up most of the day however they accomplished the task. And they were pleased with the results.

"Come on Jack, let's get cleaned up and head over to the beach to watch the Fireworks. I thought we could pack our dinner and eat it on the beach."

"That sounds like the perfect way to close out the day!" Jack smiled, taking his wife's hand and heading towards the house.

The sun was just above the horizon when the happy couple exited their farmhouse and headed in the direction of the beach. They arrived and found most of Forget Me Not Valley already in attendance. After a short search, they found an open spot and spread out a red and white checkered blanket.

"Hello Jack, Flora how are you two doing?" a woman's voice questioned curiously.

Both turn around and found a smiling Celia standing behind them. "We're both doing great, thanks for asking," Flora replied. "How about you Celia, how have you been? Working hard?"

"I'm feeling pretty good, just a little tired. We have so many crops to attend to every day. It sort of wears you down after a while," The brown haired girl replied. "Well, I'll catch up to you later, I have to find go and find where Vesta set up our blanket."

"Mind if we join you?" a familiar voice questioned in a hopeful tone.

Jack looked up and saw Gray and Mary smiling back at him. "Of course, there's plenty of room."

Gray and Mary took places across from Jack and Flora. After enjoying some snacks, Mary moved over to where Flora was sitting and the two girls began to chat about the happenings in the valley as well as what was going on in Mineral Town. Gray and Jack sat back and relaxed, waiting for the night sky to fill with colorful fireworks.

As the show began, Flora placed her head against Jack's shoulder and together they watch as the colorful explosions illuminate the inky black sky above them.

"I love to watch the fireworks," Jack sighed happily.

"So do I, it's so amazing how they can get all the different colors to come out like they do."

As the shows grand finale lit up the night sky and the mighty explosions shook the ground beneath them, the crowd on the beach applauded and cheered loudly. Once the show ended, the crowd began to slowly disperse.

"Will you be coming to the mine this Thursday?" Gray questioned Flora curiously.

"Well, that really all depends on how things are going with our farm. I may try and swing by if I have some free time."

"I see, well take care then. And if you and Jack can, you should take a day and stop by Mineral Town for a visit. We can have dinner at Doug's Inn… best steaks around if you ask me!"

"Sounds good, we'll have to make some time and head out your way. I can always sink my teeth into a nice juicy steak!"

Jack placed his arm around his wife and together they walked back to their farm. After a quick check of things, they turned in for the night knowing that tomorrow is only hours away.

…_.and cut! Yes, I've done it again! So I hope everyone likes this chapter. Please take a moment and leave a review. Thanks so much! _


	9. Stormy Weather

_Special thanks to all my awesome reviewers, __**Florays, Momo-chan12, pink-kiss-candy, roxas-kh, kelley28, fuzzi fox, S.P.D. Ranger, **__and __**AshRB. **__I really enjoy hearing what you have to say! _

_**Disclaimer:**__ As everyone knows by now, I don't own Harvest Moon. Natsume does._

_**Chapter 9: Stormy Weather**_

Summer had finally turned to fall in Forget Me Not Valley. Jack stood in the barn looking quite pleased as Flora milked their cow Daisy. It seemed like it was only just yesterday that his wife had been so intimidated by the large black and white bovine. Now there she was milking the cow as though she'd been doing it for years.

"You know Flora; you're getting pretty good at that," Jack teased playfully. "Um, are you sure that you didn't study farming while you were at the university?"

"I'm quite sure that I didn't, I just had a good teacher to show me how to do it, that's all."

Jack grinned at his wife's compliment. Together they finished with Daisy and while Flora tended to Cotton, Jack carried the large milk container over to the shipping bin and put it inside dusting off his hands afterwords.

"Well that finishes all the chores for today, how about we head over to the Blue Bar after dinner for a well deserved drink?"

Flora shook her head eagerly. "That sounds fine, but do you mind if we eat at the Inn tonight? I'm way too tired to even think about cooking."

"Sure why not, we deserve a treat after all the hard work and long hours we've been putting in lately."

After getting cleaned up the happy couple exited their farmhouse and head towards the Inner Inn for a nice relaxing dinner.

"Wow, it seems as thought everyone's out tonight," Flora commented as she watched the residents of the valley going from place to place.

"I don't blame everyone for being out; it's such a nice evening," Jack replied as he placed his arm around his wife and pulled her next to him. "It's even nicer because I can share it with you Flora."

Flora felt her cheeks instantly warm as she blushed. "Thank you Jack, you are so sweet."

They continued along the red brick pathway and arrived at the Inn fifteen minutes later. Jack opened the door and they walked inside where they are greeted warmly by Ruby.

"Good evening and welcome to the Inner Inn," she greeted politely. "Will you be dinning with us this evening?"

"Yes we will be that's why we're here," Jack answered plainly.

Flora sighed and rolled her violet eyes before elbowing her husband and admonishing him to be a little more polite next time.

The raven-haired Innkeeper led them through the dinning room and over to a table next to a large window. "May I start your evening off with a nice refreshing beverage?"

"I'll have a glass of iced tea," Jack responded. "If possible, can I have two slices of lemon in it?"

"Of course that's no problem at all," Ruby answered as she noted the farmer's request on her pad. "And what can I get for you Flora?"

"Hm, I think I'll have just a glass of apple juice."

"Perfect, I'll get those out here right away," the Innkeeper chirped before turning and heading back towards the kitchen.

When Ruby returned with their drinks the Innkeeper was ready to take their food order. After looking over the menu, both Jack and Flora order the house special, a mixed platter of meat and freshly prepared vegetables, much to Ruby's delight.

It didn't take long for the food to be prepared and Ruby returned just twenty minutes later with two plates heaped with delicious smelling food.

Flora smiled eagerly as she looked at the steaming plate in front of her. "Hm, I guess this is the reason why Carter liked to eat here as often as he did."

"It does smell really good, that's for sure," Jack added before beginning to eat.

**XXX**

After enjoying their dinner the happy couple headed over to the Blue Bar for an evening of dancing and perhaps a drink or two.

"Hey you two… long time no see!" Muffy greeted enthusiastically as they walked into the drinking establishment. "What can I get you tonight?"

"I'll have a draft beer, on tap if possible," Jack replied.

"I think… I think I'll have a Pink Moonbeam," Flora added.

"Sounds good, I'll get those for you right away," the blond hostess said with a grin.

Muffy returned a short time later with their drinks. "Enjoy yourselves! And let me know if you need anything else!"

Flora picked up her glass and took a sip of the creamy pink concoction. "You know, this is the same drink I had on the night you proposed to me."

"I remember! It sure seems like just yesterday that I first met you that day at the mine. I'm so glad I decided to go there that day. I'm just glad you didn't cream me! The way you stormed into the mine… I thought I was a goner!"

Flora blushed slightly and smiled back at her husband. "Then next time don't go sneaking around like you did."

"Who was sneaking around? I was just looking for whoever was in charge, that's all."

Flora smiled. "So you say… I think you were just trying to sneak a peak at me."

Jack's cheeks started becoming red at the thought. "But… but I didn't even know you were there! How could I be trying to sneak a peak?" he stammered.

'Whatever the circumstance were that day, I'm happy with the results…"

After a couple of hours of dancing relaxation, they decide to head back to the farm and get some rest for the coming day.

"Good night Flora, sleep tight," Jack cooed happily before giving his wife a kiss.

"I love you Jack, sleep well."

**XXX**

The following day Jack was busy working out in the barn adding a new coat of red paint to some recently replaced wood when he noticed his wife walking towards him, a distressed look on her face.

"Hey Flora, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Flora looked at him curiously. "Um Jack… are typhoons bad for our farm?"

"Well yeah, they can cause a lot of damage to the buildings and to the crops. Why do you ask?"

"Because I just saw on the news that one is headed right towards us. According to the weatherman, it should be arriving in the next few days."

Immediately concerned, Jack dropped what he was doing and ran into the house. Flora followed right behind him and watches as he turned on the television. Tuning to the weather station the brown haired farmer watched in silence as the weatherman went over the details of the quickly approaching storm.

"Are they really that bad here?" Flora asked softly. "I mean, in the city there was usually just a lot of rain and some minor wind damage."

"The heavy rain is only part of the problem for us here," Jack answered. "Because the valley is so close to the sea, the storm is much stronger when it hits us."

"I see, so what do we do now? You know, to get ready for it I mean," Flora asked curiously.

"Well, we will need to make sure that all our buildings are secure and that the animals have extra food and water since we won't be able to feed them during the storm. There isn't much we can do for our crops except hope for the best. We only have three days to get ready so we need to work hard."

And work hard they did. For the next two days they spent their time shoring up the barn and stable. They harvested as many crops that were ready and as the final day approached Flora helped to get the animals taken care of while Jack worked on shoring up their chicken coops.

"Since the chicken coops are small and lightly constructed, they're the most at risk during the storm," he explained while working to improve the structure's integrity.

"What about our house, will it be alright during the storm?"

Jack paused for a moment and gave his wife a reassuring smile. "It's made of stone so it's pretty strong. To be honest, I'm really not too worried about it."

Flora sighed and kicked at the loose dirt with the toe of her boot. "I hope Carter knows about this so he can secure the tent."

"Then why don't you go there and make sure he knows. I'm sure you'll feel better if you do."

A smile filled the blonde's face. "Really, you really don't mind if I leave now?"

"Nah… I've about got things wrapped up here, so go ahead and make sure your friend is safe and sound," he replied with a smile.

Wasting no time Flora quickly headed over to the mine. Right now, the only thing on her mind was to make sure that the man knew about the coming storm. When she arrived she found Carter already in the process of moving items from the tent into the safety of the mine.

"Hey Carter, could you use a helping hand?"

The archeologist paused and looked over at his former student. "Flora, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Jack back at your farm preparing for the storm?"

"Our farm is all ready so Jack said it was alright for me to come and see if you needed any help," Flora replied.

"I see that was certainly thoughtful of him. And to answer your question… yes I defiantly could use a helping hand!"

Carter then directed her to help move everything from the tent to the mine. Flora did as requested and helped her former boss to move all his possessions into the safe confines of the mine. Once they had everything moved out of the canvas structure, they tore the tent down and carry it into the mine.

"Whew, that's got it… thanks for the help Flora; I don't think I could have gotten it all done without your help. Please tell Jack that I really appreciate him letting you come here to help me."

"You're welcome Carter. You know, maybe as payback you could come and help us on the farm for a day."

Carter chuckled. "I doubt if I'd be any use, when I was younger, my mother used to say that I had a black thumb! Heck, I couldn't even get weeds to grow!"

"Really? Hm, that just might be useful… Take care during the storm," she added before starting back down the path that led towards the village.

As Carter watched his former student walk away he smiled. _"You really are one hell of a lucky guy, Jack, I envy you."_

Flora walked through the gate of the farm just as the sun was setting below the horizon. She headed quickly over to the house and walked inside.

"Welcome back sweetie! Is Carter all squared away and ready for the storm?"

"Yes he is. We took everything that was in the tent and stored it in the mine. Then we took the tent down. Carter has a cot set up in the mine to sleep on," Flora replied. "Thank you for letting me take some time to go and help him."

Jack smiled at his wife as he headed into the kitchen to begin preparations for dinner. "I was thinking about making a pizza for dinner tonight, is that alright with you?"

"Mmm… a pizza sounds good to me! Do you need any help making it?"

"No, just sit back and relax," Jack answered as he began to prepare the ingredients.

It took Jack only a short time to prepare the pizza and after preheating the oven he placed it inside to bake. After setting the oven's timer for fifteen minutes he joined Flora and Angel on the couch.

"I hope we're ready for this Jack, according to the weather, the storms expected to make landfall tomorrow."

"We'll just have to hope and pray that's all," Jack answered plainly. "We've done all we can do to prepare ourselves and the farm it's up to the wrath of nature and the Harvest Goddess."

Flora leaned over and rested her head on her husband's shoulder. Angel joined them by curling herself up in her owners lap. Just as everyone was getting comfortable, the timer on the oven began to chime.

"Sorry guys," Jack said as he tried to get up. "I need to get the pizza out of the oven or it will burn."

Flora sighed softly as she too got up off of the comfy couch and headed over to the table. Once her human companions were gone, Angel simply laid back down, stretching herself out on the now empty couch.

Jack removed the piping hot pie from the oven and using a large knife, sliced it into wedge shaped portions. He then carried it out to the table. He returned momentarily to the kitchen to grab something out of the refrigerator. Returning to the table he placed a jar of Parmesan cheese and a bottle of ranch dressing on the table.

Flora eyes the salad dressing wryly. "Um, don't tell me that you are you going to put that on your pizza?"

Jack grinned back at her. "Well, technically I'm not going to put it on the pizza as much as dunk my slice into it. For me, nothing tastes better than pizza dipped in ranch dressing. You should try it," he added with a smile.

"Ugh, no thank you… I'll just stick with some good old hot sauce," the blond haired girl replied, picking up a slice and placing it on her plate. "It sure does smell good though. Say Jack? How about we take a short walk after we finish eating? You know, to help settle our food."

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea to me. Any particular place you'd like to go?"

Flora shook her head. "No not really, maybe just a walk through town."

"That works for me," the farmer chirped back.

After finishing their dinner and cleaning up, Jack and Flora stepped out into the cool night air. Hand in hand they walked along the path towards the center of town.

Flora sighed and looked up at the star filled sky above them. "It's really hard to believe that such awful weather is headed this way. The sky looks so pretty."

"Yeah I know, but looks can be deceiving. There is no doubt that it's coming though. Come on, let's head back to the farm, tomorrow will most likely be a long day for us."

**XXX**

The following morning dawns still and peaceful in Forget Me Not Valley. A deep red hue filled the morning sky as the sun began to rise above the horizon. In the distance, tall ominous clouds that formed the leading edge of the impending storm began to fill the sky.

Knowing that time was now of the essence, Jack and Flora quickly made last minute checks of their animals and go about double checking things in a last ditch effort to make sure that everything was secured. They were just about finished when the first rumbles of thunder could be heard across the valley.

"It sounds like the storm is just about here," Jack commented as he looked to the sky.

"It sure does. Come on Jack; let's get inside before it starts to get bad."

Jack nodded his head in agreement and followed his wife in to the safety of their farmhouse. With one last glance around, he pulled the door closed hoped that his farm would still be there when it was over.

For the next hour the couple listened and watched as the storm moved closer, the weather steadily deteriorating as it did. Outside the storm force winds began to howl, picking up small debris and hurling them against the side of the house. Brilliant flashes of lightning blazed across the now darkened sky and are followed by loud rumbles of thunder. Heavy torrents of rain assaulted the valley in a thunderous crescendo.

Jack and Flora return to the couch to watch the storms movements on TV. However, this was cut short when the power failed.

"Stay here, I'll get the candles," Flora responded in a somewhat shaky voice.

Jack could hear her startled yelps as several loud cracks of thunder resonated through the now darkened farmhouse. She hurriedly returned to the couch and placed two large white colored candles on the table in front of them. It took her several attempts to get them lit, but once she did a warm comforting feeling seemed to fill the home.

Jack took notice of his wife's obviously jarred nerves. "Sit down and try to relax Flora, all that can be done now is to wait out the storm."

The sandy haired girl gave her husband a curious look. "Aren't you scared? I mean, listen to it, the storm sounds so bad!"

"Sure I am, but since there's nothing I can do about it, I try my best not to let my fears get the better of me."

Flora sighed softly. "Sorry if you think I'm weak because the storm frightens me…"

Jack reached out and pulled the petite blond close to hm. "I don't think you're weak at all. I love you Flora, and no matter what, I'll always think of you positively," he added before kissing her forehead sweetly.

"Thank you Jack, that really helps me…" Reassured by her husband's words, Flora tried to relax her jumbled nerves by cuddling with Angel.

The couple sat in relative silence, listening as the intensity of storm seemed to increase, sitting and hoping for the best.

After what seemed like eternity in the young couple's minds, the storm's intensity began to gradually dissipate. As the main body of the storm moved beyond the valley, things outside the farmhouse began to settle down. Getting up the couple walked over to the window and opened the storm shutter, getting their first glimpses of how their farm had weathered the storm.

"Wow, from here things don't look to bad," Jack said as he peered through the rain slicked window. "The rain seems to have settled down we should go outside and check everything out."

Flora nodded in agreement and hand in hand the pair headed tentatively over to the door.

Jack reached out and opened the door and at first glance things don't appear to be all that bad. Large puddles of muddy standing water, tree branches, and other debris littered the yard in front of the house. It was still drizzling lightly and the wind was still gusting occasionally. But Jack and Flora decided to go outside anyway. They wanted to get a better view of any damage their farm might have suffered.

"At least the barn is still in good shape," Jack said as he looked at the large red structure. "Although it looks like the roof might have suffered a bit of wind damage," he added before continuing towards the barn's door. Just as he was about to step inside, Flora's shocked voice caught his attention.

"Oh no… Jack, some of our chickens are… gone!" she shouted in shocked disbelief.

Jack closed the barn door and ran over to where his wife was standing and gazed at the spot were one of the chicken coops had once stood. All that remained now of where the coop once stood was a smooth concrete pad and some broken bits of lumber. Four of their birds as well as their coop had simply been wiped away by the storms fury.

"Damn, I was afraid that something like this would happen. Four chickens and a coop… just gone."

"So what do we do now?" Flora questioned, her voice still showing a bit of disbelief.

"Well, in my opinion the first thing we need to do is to have the other coop upgraded to stone. That way it will be much stronger and less susceptible to damage. Second thing we need to do is replace the second coop and buy some new chickens. I just hope we have enough money to cover the cost."

Flora nodded and silently watched as Jack inspected the other coop. Inside he found the four remaining hens scared but otherwise unharmed. They continued to walk around the farm taking note of the mess they would need to tackle as soon as it stopped raining and things dried out. Flooded fields and downed trees seemed to be all over their farm. Jack sighed loudly as he thought about all the work he had done to prepare and plant the now flooded fields.

After returning to the barn and checking to make sure that Cotton and Daisy were unharmed they walked into the stable and were relieved to find Sakura was restless, but otherwise well.

"Gosh, I hope everyone else in the valley is alright. That storm was really quite intense after all." Flora muttered in a concerned voice. "I hope Carter is alright as well," she added softly.

Jack looked over at his wife and smiled. "Even though you are no longer his student, he still means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

"Hm… did you say something Jack?"

"I was just saying that even though you are no longer his student, Carter is still a friend to you."

Flora nodded. "It's true; he is special to me, but only as a friend. He's not special in the same way that you're special to me."

"It's alright, I know what you mean," Jack said giving his wife a reassuring smile. "After all he gave you the opportunity to study with him at the mine."

"That's true. I doubt that I could have gotten as much out of archeology if I'd only studied it in a classroom. Thank you for understanding Jack."

By that point the drizzle had finally come to an end and the sun was starting to poke through the quickly dissipating cloud cover. Returning to the house they sat down on the stairs outside.

"I never realized that farmers went through so much," Flora said as she watched the slowly receding puddles in front of the house. "It's so hard to believe that just one storm can wipe out seasons worth of work."

"It is difficult there is no doubt about that. But the rewards of it far outweigh the difficulties; at least that's what I believe."

Flora smiled and rested her head on Jack's shoulder, watching as the sun sank beneath the distant horizon, proud to call herself the wife of a farmer.

_So how do you like things so far? I really do appreciate any comments either good or bad, so please take a moment to leave a review. Thanks! _


	10. A Trip to Mineral Town

_A big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.__** Momo-chan12, Florays, xoxReneeOrionxox, roxas-kh, fuzzi fox, AshRB, **__and __**Hay Lin Rox. **__I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! _

_Special thanks go to my friend __**Laney-chan**__ for lending me some of her ideas. You rock!_

_**Disclaimer:**__ Guess what? I still don't own Harvest Moon, Natsume does. I know, shocking isn't it? _

_**Chapter 10: A Trip to Mineral Town**_

Soft white flakes of snow wafted down on Forget Me Not Valley, signifying the arrival of another winter season.

With the end of the growing season on the farm, Flora had once again returned to working at the mine full time. However, on this particular day she deviated from her normal route, stopping at the local clinic where she had scheduled an appointment with Dr. Hardy.

Flora pushed the door open and walked into the doctor's office. Inside she was met immediately by the medical man's unique gaze. Even though she already knew the doctor meant no harm, his odd gaze still gave her a momentary chill.

"Hello Flora, what seems to be troubling you today?" he asked curiously, walking over to the blond haired girl.

"Well, I've been having these really bad cramps and morning sickness for the past couple of weeks," Flora began explaining. "Also… um... I'm 'late' for my period," she added softly.

"I see, please have a seat on the examination table and I'll take a look."

A slightly embarrassed Flora did as she was instructed, taking a seat on the chilly paper covered foam rubber cushion of the examination table. Dr. Hardy moved over to her and pulled a curtain around them.

"Please lie down and relax Flora," he instructed in a friendly tone. "If this is what I suspect, it shouldn't take long."

**XXX**

An hour and a half later Flora walked back through the gate of the farm. A quick check around for her husband and she found him inside the barn grooming Daisy's coat.

Jack looked up curiously when he heard the barn door open and watched as Flora walked inside. He quickly noticed that for some reason, she seemed to be almost glowing.

"Hi Flora, why are you here and not at the mine?" Jack questioned as his wife approached him. "You look really happy about something though."

Flora smiled broadly at her husband and handed him what looked to be a blurry black and white photograph.

"Um, what's this?" Jack asked curiously as he examined the photo intently.

Flora gave her husband a broad smile. "It's your child's first picture."

"Wha… what did you just say?" Jack stammered.

"I said it's the first picture of your child. As you know, I haven't been feeling well in the mornings so I made an appointment with Dr. Hardy. I was there today and… I'm pregnant Jack! You're going to be a father!"

Still in a state of shock the farmer stood up and faced his wife and as her words finally registered in his mind a broad smile formed on his face. He looked at the ultrasound picture again and tears begin to fill his eyes.

"Oh my Goddess Flora… we're going to be parents! I… I can't believe it, I can't believe it I'm going to be a daddy!" he shouted ecstatically before giving his wife a loving hug and kiss.

The blond haired girl gently pushed her husband back and looked at the ultrasound picture still in his hand. "Dr. Hardy told me that I'm in the first phase of the pregnancy. He also said that the baby is healthy and developing well."

"Did Dr. Hardy say if it was a boy or a girl?" Jack questioned curiously. "Not that I mind either way of course."

"He didn't say. I think it's probably too early for him to tell whether it's a boy or a girl."

"Oh Flora, I'm so happy that we are going to become a family. I know we'll make great parents."

"It's so hard for me to believe that a tiny life is beginning here," Flora said as she gently rubbed her still flat midsection.

"Say Flora, did the doctor say anything about work restrictions? What I mean is so that I can make sure that you don't overdo it or anything," he stammered, trying not to sound like an insensitive ass.

"Oh don't worry about that Jack," Flora retorted somewhat sarcastically. "I can still help out with the chores around the farm. And just so you know, I can also still work in the mine. I just can't do any digging or lift anything over ten pounds."

"Um… alright, I'll keep that in mind," Jack replied sheepishly. "Sorry if I sounded like an insensitive jerk just then."

"Just forget about it," Flora replied plainly. "But just so you know, you did sound like an ass."

**XXX**

A snowy and cold Thursday found Flora working at the mine. She was busy helping Carter to categorize some recently discovered artifacts when Gray opened the wooden door and walked in.

"Hello everyone, wow, is it cold enough for you? Sheesh, I thought for sure I was going to turn into a Popsicle before I got here!"

"It is way too cold for me," Flora replied with a shiver. "How are you doing Gray?"

"I'm doing fine. In fact things in the world couldn't be better."

Flora and Carter both looked at the young man curiously."How come you're so cheery today?" Carter asked the young man curiously.

Gray grinned broadly. "Yesterday I finally got enough courage to propose to Mary… and she accepted."

"Oh wow that's wonderful news! Congratulations, I'm sure you will both make a lovely couple!" Flora chirped happily, giving him a hug. "So when's the wedding?"

"We're planning on having it on the first Sunday in spring," Gray answered. "Of course you are all invited," he added. "Do you think that you can come?"

Flora nodded. "You count Jack and me in. I'm so happy for you and Mary."

"Hey Flora, why don't you tell Gray your good news," Carter piped in. "I'm sure he'd like to know as well."

Gray gave the blond haired girl a curious gaze. "You have some good news as well? What's going on?"

Flora grinned back. "Jack and I are going to become parents!"

"You're kidding, that's great news! Congratulations!" he said giving Flora a friendly hug.

"Careful Gray, she's mine," Jack cautioned playfully as he walked into the mine.

"Congratulations Jack, Flora just told me about the baby," Gray informed, walking over to the farmer and extending his hand.

"Thank you Gray," Jack said as he accepted Gray's hardy handshake.

"Hey Jack, Gray has some good news of his own. He proposed to Mary and she accepted," Flora said as she walked over to where Jack and Gray are standing. "The wedding will be held on the first Sunday of spring, we can go right?"

"Congratulations Gray, that's great to hear!" Jack replied happily. "Hm, I don't see any reason why we couldn't go. Will the ceremony be held at the church in Mineral Town?"

"Yes it will be. Then later in the evening we will have a reception at Doug's Inn," Gray answered. "If you need me to, I can already make sure that you have a reservation for that night."

"That'd probably be the best thing," Flora answered. "Since I figure you two will probably be doing some drinking."

"I doubt if I'll be drinking, Mary really doesn't like it when I drink alcohol."

Jack laughed. "Not even married yet and she's already got you trained."

"It's not like that…" the apprentice blacksmith stammered.

"Don't worry Gray, Jack is the same way… if he know what's good for him that is," Flora chuckled.

Carter joined them after returning his books to his desk. "Say, in light of all the good news and since it's so close to the end of the day, why don't we all knock off and go home a little early?"

"That sounds like a good idea, how about we all head over to the Blue Bar, first rounds on me!" Jack spoke as he turned towards the mines exit.

Everyone quickly agreed and after closing the door and securing it, together they all headed over to Forget Me Not Valley's drinking establishment. Once they arrived, Jack opened the door and they all walked inside. Muffy was chatting with Griffin, and once they took a seat, she walked over and greeted them warmly.

"Hey you guys, welcome back!" Muffy chirped happily. "What can I get for you tonight?"

"I'll have my usual, a nice cold beer in a frosty mug," Jack replied eagerly.

"I'll have a glass of red wine," Carter spoke next.

"I'd like a beer for me as well," Gray chimed in after the elder archeologist.

"What about you Flora, your usual Pink Moonbeam?" Muffy asked the blonde haired girl curiously.

"Um no, I'll just have some orange juice with ice please," Flora replied softly.

Muffy gave Flora a curious gaze for a moment, suddenly her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly. The bubbly barmaid then bent down and whispered in Flora's ear. "Are you expecting?"

Flora nodded her head yes and smiled over at her husband.

"Well congratulations you two!" Muffy said excitedly. "I can't wait to see the baby." She giggled before heading over to the bar to give Griffin their drink orders.

**XXX**

The next two weeks passed quickly and as the last week of winter came to an end Flora began to plan their trip to Mineral Town.

"You know Jack; I was thinking that we could maybe stay in Mineral Town for the weekend. It'd be a nice break from the farm, don't you think?"

However before he can answer her, Flora stood up and glared angrily at him. "Well if you don't want to go then just say so!"

"Um… I, I …" Jack stammered.

"Come on decide what you want to do or shut that trap of yours!" she spat loudly.

"Ah… if you put it that way, I guess we're going to stay for the weekend," he replied meekly, surprised by his wife's sudden outburst.

However before he could inquire into what was troubling her, Flora's face distorted and she quickly clamped her hand over her mouth and ran for the bathroom. Jack got up and followed after her, finding her bent over the toilet throwing up violently. He moved carefully over to his wife and helped her by holding her hair back out of her face. He also gently removed her glasses so they wouldn't slip off her face and fall in. After a few minutes Flora got up and moved over to the sink to rinse her mouth out and get rid of the horrible after taste lingering on her tongue.

Jack was still rather perplexed at what has just happened and looked at Flora curiously.

"I… I'm sorry for snapping at you Jack," she said apologetically. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's alright, sweetie," he replied knowing that it was likely somehow related to her being pregnant.

"Thank you for being so understanding Jack. I really appreciate that."

Flora was just about to get comfortable on the couch when there was a knock on the door. Irritated by the interruption the sandy haired girl stomped over and flung the door open.

"What the hell do you want?" she demanded, not even looking to see who was there.

"Um, is this a bad time?" Carter spoke as he stepped back from the door. "I can come back later."

Flora just glared angrily at him.

Jack quickly stepped carefully around his wife and greeted the elder archeologist. "Hello Carter, what brings you to our farm?"

"Well I wanted to bring Flora these imported candies that I got the last time I was in Mineral Town," he began. "Zack told me that they are European chocolates and I thought I'd give them to her as sort of a thank you for her help during the winter," he added, holding out a red box wrapped with a shiny golden colored ribbon.

"You're freaking kidding me right?" Flora cried out angrily. "As if I'm not fat enough with this baby growing inside me, you have the audacity to wanna give me candy! Thanks for nothing Carter!" she shouted before storming back inside the farmhouse.

A dumfounded look filled Carter's face as he watched his former student storm away. After a moment he then looked over at Jack for an explanation.

"Her hormones are kind of out of control right now," Jack explained. "She snaps at me for just about everything. I've started calling them her 'hormones from hell'."

Carter nodded understandingly and handed Jack the brightly decorated box. "I see. Anyway here's the candy. I guess you can give it to her after the baby is born."

The farmer accepted the box of candy and thanked the elder man for it. Carter then turned and headed back to the mine. As he did so, he made a quick mental note to steer clear of Flora and her raging hormones until after the baby was born.

**XXX**

The day of their trip finally arrived and after making sure that Takakura had everything under control they walked out the gate of their farm and headed down the path in the direction of Mineral Town. Unfortunately it took them a lot longer than planned to make the trip due to the many breaks Flora needed to take. Late in the afternoon they finally arrived at the outskirts of the small port town.

"Do you have the map Gray gave us?" Flora asked her husband standing next to her.

"I have it right here," Jack answered, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolding it.

Flora glanced at the paper in her husband's hands. "Hm, it looks like the inn is over this way."

"Sure looks that way," Jack agreed, folding the map back up and placing it back in his pants pocket.

They followed the red bricked pathway for another ten minutes before arriving at a large red stone structure. Outside a delicately engraved wooden sign announced that they had found Doug's Inn. Jack pushed the heavy wooden doors open and he and Flora walked inside. There they found Ann sitting at a table near the door.

"Hello and welcome to our Inn," she greeted in a friendly voice. "Hey Dad, Jack and Flora from the valley are here."

A large burly man with reddish gray hair walked out of the back room and over to where Jack and Flora were standing. "Welcome to Mineral Town," he began. "My name is Doug, welcome to my inn. I'm sure you are tired from your journey so let's get you guys checked in."

Doug led them over to a dark colored wooden desk near the bar. "I just need to get you to sign the guest book and we'll be all set."

Jack nodded and picked up the pen next to the well worn book and signed his name. He then stepped to the side and Flora did the same.

After getting the couple checked in and giving them their room key he led them over to a table near the bar where Ann joined them. "Please, make yourselves at home," he added heartily.

Ann smiled. "You guys look thirsty; can I get something for you to drink?"

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll have a beer," Jack replied.

Flora smiled. "I'll just have some grape juice with ice please."

"Very good, I'll be right back with that," the redheaded barmaid chirped merrily before heading over to the bar.

She returned a short time later and placed the beverages down on the table. "Gray told me to let you know that he and Mary will be by later," she added before turning her attention to the guests at another table.

Jack and Flora sat at the table and watched curiously as Mineral Town's residents ate dinner and relaxed. Thirty five minutes later a familiar voice caught their attention.

Turning around they saw Gray waving to them from the doorway. Next to him was Mary, her long raven black hair in a braid over her left shoulder. Together they walked over and joined them. "Hi, welcome to Mineral Town," he greeted cheerfully.

Mary sat down next to Flora and Gray near Jack. "Gray has told me that you're expecting your first child Flora, I'm very happy for you. Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?"

"Thank you Mary," Flora replied. "We haven't asked about the gender, but from what I'm being told about how I'm caring the baby, we can expect a girl. But the truth be told, I can't wait for it to be over with," she added rubbing her swollen belly.

"We just wanted to stop in and welcome you to our town. I'm sure you'd like to get some rest since I know the trip here couldn't have been very easy on you Flora. Please enjoy the sights around our town," Mary said as she and Gray stood up and headed towards the door. "We'll see you on Sunday at the chapel, one o'clock sharp!" she added just before they walked out.

Jack and Flora finished their drinks and after saying good night to Doug and Ann, they headed up to their room to rest, which they felt they deserved.

**XXX**

The next morning Jack awoke to the sounds of Flora throwing up in the bathroom. Swinging his legs out from under the covers, he got out of bed and joined his wife in the bathroom. As he approached her, Flora looked up at him with a look of agony filling her pale face.

"Ugh, I can't wait for this crap to finally be over," she gasped in an exasperated tone. "Puking all the time really sucks."

"I'm sorry that you have to go through this Flora," Jack said compassionately as he gently rubbed his wife's back.

"Thank you Jack, knowing that I have you by my side makes all this a little easier to handle."

Jack pulled his wife into a gentle hug. "I'd do anything for you both. I love you both so very much."

After getting dressed they headed downstairs for some breakfast. Ann greeted them as they rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs.

"Good morning, would you like some breakfast?" the redhead inquired curiously.

"Good morning Ann," Flora chirped back. "I don't know about Jack, but some breakfast would be nice."

"Alright, then please have a seat and I'll get it ready." Ann smiled cheerfully before heading back towards the inn's kitchen.

They ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, pancakes and coffee. After finishing their food Jack and Flora decided to take a walk and explore the small seaside town.

They spent most of the day simply walking casually around the small town. They visited Mary's library much to the delight of the petite librarian. Afterwards they decided to head over to the beach. As they walked out onto the beaches soft white sand Jack noticed that Flora's cheeks were red and that she seemed to be having a bit of difficulty.

"Are you doing alright Flora?"

"Yes I'm alright, just a little tired that's all," Flora murmured softly.

Jack looked around and noticed a couple of benches along the edge of the beach. "Let's sit down and take a break."

"Thank you Jack, I just need a little break that's all." Flora gasped as she plopped herself down on the worn wooden bench. "The sea breeze feels so nice, don't you think so?"

"Yes, it's very relaxing," Jack sighed. "I love the ocean."

The happy couple remained on the bench for the next couple of hours; simply relaxing and watching as the dazzling aquamarine waves break on the shoreline.

"Are you ready to head back to the inn?" Jack asked his wife curiously.

"Yes I sure am," Flora replied happily. "I'm starting to get pretty hungry."

"I'm getting hungry myself," Jack agreed as he helped his wife get to her feet.

**XXX**

"Hi guys, did you have a good time checking out our town?" Ann greeted as they walked through the door of the inn.

"Yes we sure did. Mineral Town is nice and we even got to see Mary's library. Then we relaxed for a while on the beach," Jack answered.

"Sounds like a fun day," the redhead replied. "Dinner will be served in about thirty minutes. The special today is spaghetti with a giant meatball. In the meantime can I get you something to drink?"

"Yes, I'd like a beer please," Jack replied.

"Just some ice water for me Ann," Flora added.

"Sounds good, I'll get those for you right away."

"I can't wait to see how the wedding ceremony will be tomorrow," Flora chirped curiously.

"I bet it will be interesting that's for sure," Jack quipped. "Mary seems to fit well with Gary though."

Flora nodded. "I agree they do make a lovely couple."

After finishing their dinner, Jack and Flora decided to call it an early evening given that the next day would likely be a long one.

**XXX**

"Good morning sweetie," Jack spoke softly to his wife, waking her up.

"Good morning Jack," Flora cooed.

"How is your tummy feeling this morning?"

"I'm feeling pretty good today," the blond haired girl replied. "I just hope it lasts through the day."

"I agree it would be a shame if you had to miss the ceremony because your stomach was upset."

Flora nodded sullenly. "Yeah it would."

After enjoying another hearty breakfast, Jack and Flora headed back up to their room to relax until they would have to get dressed and headed over to the chapel for the ceremony.

Around twelve thirty they walked out of the inn and headed over to the Mineral Town chapel. Anna, Mary's mother, greeted them as they got closer.

"Ah, yes you are Gray's friends form Forget Me Not Valley," she said looking at the guest list in her hand. "Please have a seat on the right side of the chapel with the groom's family."

Jack followed Flora as she walked into the white stone building. She walked up the aisle and selected a pew in the third row. Jack sat down next to her. They looked around and noticed that there were only a few people sitting on Gray's side of the church.

"Looks like not to many people from Gray's family could make it," Flora whispered, noting that Mary's side of the church was rather full.

"It sure seems that way. Either that or he just has a small family."

Flora nodded and together she and Jack waited for the ceremony to begin. About ten minutes later Ann began to play the wedding march and Jack and Flora watched as Mary's father Basil escorted his daughter up the aisle.

"Mary looks quite pretty in her gown," Flora whispered in Jack's ear.

"Yes she does, and Gray looks really nervous," Jack added with a quiet chuckle.

Basil guided Mary up onto the small stage where she joined Gray in front of Pastor Carter. It was a short but elegant ceremony with Gray and Mary reading their vows to each other. The ceremony ended as Gray and Mary sealed their marriage with their first kiss as husband and wife amid the applause and cheering of their family and friends.

One hour later Jack and Flora were sitting in the Inn enjoying the festive atmosphere of the reception.

"It was beautiful ceremony," Flora began. "They make such a cute couple."

"Yes they sure do," Jack agreed. "I have to admit that was the first time I've seen Gray without his trademark baseball cap," he added with a chuckle.

Flora smiled. "I think Mary would have made him eat that hat if he had tried to wear it during the ceremony." Flora was about to say something else when the newlywed couple walked over to them.

"Congratulations, the ceremony was beautiful and you make a lovely couple," Flora said happily.

"Indeed, I hope that your life together is a joyous and happy one," Jack added as he shook Gray's hand.

**XXX**

As the night wore on Jack could tell that the party was beginning to take its toll on his pregnant wife. "Would you like to head up to our room now Flora? You look pretty tired."

Flora looked at Jack and nodded her head. "If you don't mind Jack, my feet are killing me."

"It's alright, I'm getting pretty tired myself and since we need to get back early tomorrow, we should probably get to bed."

After saying good night to the happy couple Jack and Flora headed up to their room to get some much needed sleep, knowing that in the morning they would have to make the return trip to Forget Me Not Valley and their life together on their farm.

_Yay me, I finally finished this chapter! I hope that it was worth the wait. Please take a moment and leave a review. Thanks so much! _


	11. Distractions

_A huge amount of thanks go to __**pink-kiss-candy, Saki Hanajima-chan, Moonlit Dreaming, roxas-kh, Hay Lin Rox, fuzzi fox, Florays, baby bear, AshRB, **__and __**Pause11**__ for your awesome reviews of the last chapter. You guys rock the house! _

_**Disclaimer:**__ Yep, you guessed it; I still don't own Harvest Moon, Natsume and Marvelous Interactive do. _

_**Chapter 11: Distractions**_

A very pregnant Flora walked from the chicken coop towards the house with a basket of eggs in her hand. Pausing half way there she wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked up at the cloudless late summer sky.

She sighed softly and continued her trek towards the house. Opening the door and walking inside, she found Jack sitting at the table with a troubled expression on his face.

"Hey honey, is something the matter?" she asked curiously, walking over and sitting down next to her husband.

Jack slowly shook his head and pointed to the stack of papers scattered about in front of him. "The spring crops didn't bring in nearly as much money as I had planned," he spoke sullenly. "And to make matters worse I had to buy the seeds for our summer crops on credit."

"But aren't we doing better with the summer crops? I mean they look real good right now."

"For now they seem to be doing well, but I just finished watching the weather and there is no rain in the forecast for the next week or so," Jack replied softly. "No rain means that we… or should I better say _I… _will need to water the crops every day if we expect to get anything out of them."

"Well, I'm sorry that I can't help out more but Doctor Hardy says that I need to keep off my feet as much as possible," the blond huffed in a slightly annoyed tone. "After all you were the one who got me pregnant!" she added sarcastically.

"Is that so…I don't remember hearing you protest about it at the time!" Jack retorted loudly. "So don't go trying to blame all this just on me."

"You can be such an insensitive ass sometimes you know that!" Flora shouted angrily before turning and storming towards the bedroom to lie down, her head was now pounding with a blinding migraine.

The brown haired farmer watched his wife leave the room before turning his attention back to the pile of papers that lie scattered on the table in front of him.

"_Damn these bills… why do we have so many?"_ he pondered angrily. _"I wonder if Gramps ever had money problems like this." _

For the next two and a half hours Jack sat at the table and tried to figure out creative ways of using the money they had and maximizing the money they would get from harvesting crops, eggs, and milk. What he ended up with instead was nothing but a bunch of scribbles and figures that really didn't make any sense at all.

In the bedroom Flora lay on the bed and rubbed her swollen belly gently. "I hope that you come soon," she cooed softly. She watched as the tiny life inside her moved about, kicking as if to say _"let me out of here… now!"_

Jack was just about to give up when the sound of the phone ringing distracted him. Walking over he picked it up and greeted the person on the other end. A woman's voice on the other end asked politely if Flora was there. Jack quickly explained that at the moment she was sleeping and offered to take a message. The woman sighed and told Jack to have Flora call her sister when she woke up. After saying good-bye Jack hung the phone up and headed to the bedroom to find his wife.

He quietly opened the door and peered inside. Flora was lying on the bed awake; she looked over at him as he opens the door further.

"Hey Jack, look… the baby is really feisty today," she giggled softly, pointing to the movements in her belly.

Jack walked over to Flora and took a seat next to her. "It looks like he or she is going to be an active baby."

He looked at the pretty sandy haired girl and smiled. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you earlier, I was just a little freaked about our money situation, that's all."

"I forgive you Jack," she replied as she reached out and took her husband by the arm, pulling him towards her. "It's over, and I know that while things may look bad right now we will get through them together."

"I know… you're right. Now how about you relax and let me make it up to you," he added before giving her a kiss.

"Hm… what do you have in mind?" Flora asked slyly.

"Well I was thinking… since you're already pregnant that we could… maybe… well… you know," Jack cooed as he wrapped his arms lovingly around his wife.

"Sorry Jack, but there will be none of that. Dr. Hardy says it's too close to my due date," Flora replied as she gently pushed her husband back. "But a nice massage would really be appreciated," she added hopefully.

Jack happily complied with his wife's request and began to gently massage her back and her slender shoulders. "Oh, by the way I meant to tell you, your sister called and said that you should call her back when you get a chance."

"Did she say what the call was about?" Flora questioned curiously.

"No she didn't. She just said that you should call her back."

For the next half hour Jack massaged Flora's aching muscles. Afterwords he got up and headed back out to the barn to finish the afternoon chores. A short time later Flora got up as well and walked over to the phone to return her sister's call.

**XXX**

Out in the barn Jack hooked Daisy up to the milking machine and while it was running he walked over to Cotton's pen. Opening the door he found the small woolly ewe lying on her side. Worried the farmer entered her pen and found that she hadn't eaten. What was worse, she was having a hard time breathing.

"Are you feeling alright Cotton?" the farmer asked the sheep curiously.

Cotton baaed weakly in reply and Jack reached out and softly brushed her coat. He then got up and walked over to a shelf near the back of the barn. He reached up and removed a small bluish bottle and a syringe before returning to Cotton's pen.

He knelt down next to the small sheep and opened the bottle of medicine. He then inserted the syringe into the bottle and pulled the plunger back filling the syringe with an off white colored liquid.

"Alright Cotton… this will help you to feel better," he reassured as he inserted the syringe into the animal's mouth. After he finished administering the medicine he filled her fodder bin and water trough.

Jack then returned to Daisy's pen, finding that the milking machine's cycle was complete. He removed the machine from the bovine's udder and filled the cow's water and feed bins. After a final check on Cotton he headed back to the house.

"Well that's another thousand down the tubes," he muttered as he walked inside and plopped down on the couch. Angel joined him a moment later and curled up in her owners lap.

Flora gave her husband a look of slight confusion.

"Cotton was sick and I had to use our last bottle of animal medicine on her," he explained. "And they cost one thousand gold a bottle."

"Well we need to keep the animals healthy so I guess you had no other choice but to use it." Flora replied plainly. "Don't worry so much Jack somehow we'll manage," she added, sitting down next to her husband.

"I know we will… but still, it is so damn frustrating sometimes."

Flora sighed and stood up walking out of the room leaving Jack and Angel alone on the couch. She returned a short time later with a small gray colored metal box in her hands. Jack gave his wife a curious look. "What do you have in the box Flora?"

The blond sat down next to her husband and handed him the box. "This should help us to get through…"

Jack opened the box and an audible gasp escaped his lips as his eyes focused on the neatly bundled stacks of currency inside the box. "W…where did you get all this money from?

"I've been saving that to pay for my tuition when I go back to school. But for now, our farm is more important than school."

Jack placed the box to the side and slipped next to his wife, placing his arm around her slender shoulder. "Are you sure? I mean, I know how important your education is to you."

Flora nodded. "As important as my continuing education might be, the future of our farm outweighs that tenfold."

Jack leaned forward and placed a sweet kiss on Flora's forehead. "Thank you for that sweetie. Oh, by the way, what did your sister want?"

"Oh yeah… I forgot to tell you, Jen is gonna come by in a few days for a visit," Flora answered. "I hope you don't mind if she stays with us while she's here."

"No, I don't mind," Jack sighed. "After all, she is family. When will she arrive?"

"She'll be here early next week. Um Jack, are you really sure it's alright? I mean with all our money problems and the fact that Cotton is sick. I'm sure that I could call her back and ask her to come at another time when things aren't as hectic for us."

Jack shook his head and smiled at his wife. "Don't worry, it's fine. Sure we are having some issues, but to be honest, I think that won't ever change. If it isn't one thing, it will be another."

"I just wanted to be sure that you were really alright with her visiting us is all."

**XXX**

After completing some maintenance on the chicken coops a rumbling in Jack's stomach told him that it was nearing time for dinner. After a quick check on the other animals he walked back up to the house.

Walking inside he found his wife sitting at the table. Walking over to her he noticed a paper with a list of names scribbled on it.

"Hey Flora, why do you have all those names listed out?"

"Oh this, I was just thinking about some names for our child," she replied sounding a bit nervous.

"May I see what names you have picked out?" he questioned curiously as he took a seat next to his wife.

"Sure you can. I hope you like some of them too."

Jack looks down at the list and immediately notices that two names are circled and highlighted. One was a boy's name and the second a girls. Smiling he looks up at his wife, "Would you like to name our son Sora or our daughter Sierra?"

Flora blushed slightly and nodded her head. "Yes I would. I really like those names."

The brown haired man considered the name for several long minutes, all the while Flora looked on nervously.

"Sierra and Sora… yes I like those names as well… I think they will be beautiful names for our child whether it's a boy or a girl."

"Oh thank you Jack!" Flora replied happily. "You don't know how happy that makes me," she added getting up and giving her husband a warm hug.

For the next couple of days Jack and Flora worked on their farm and preparing for Flora's sister's arrival.

**XXX**

"Good morning Jack." Flora cooed warmly, giving her husband a sweet kiss on the cheek. "I'll get breakfast started while you do the chores."

"That sounds good sweetie." Jack replied returning his wife's kiss.

"Remember that you need to go to Mineral Town to pick Jen up this afternoon. The ferry she's on will arrive around two in the afternoon," Flora informed him as she swung her legs over the side and climbed out of bed.

"Don't worry, I remember. In fact, was going to head over to Mineral Town right after we have breakfast."

"No need for sarcasm Jack, I was just making sure that you remembered is all."

Jack quickly completed the morning chores and after a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, and two English muffins he headed towards the port in Mineral Town to pick up Flora's younger sister Jennifer.

**XXX**

It took Jack the remainder of the morning to make the trip to neighboring Mineral Town. He arrived with a little more than an hour before the ferry was due in. Smiling he headed over to Doug's Inn for a visit and a nice cold drink.

Pushing the well worn wooden door open the brown haired farmer walked inside and is quickly greeted by the inns redheaded hostess, Ann.

"Hello Jack, what are you doing here in Mineral Town?"

"I'm here to pick up Flora's sister when she arrives on the ferry this afternoon," he replied. "I have about an hour before it is scheduled to dock, so I thought I'd drop by for a visit."

"Ah, I see. Well it's always nice to see you Jack. How's Flora doing? Has she had the baby yet?"

"She's doing well, but still hasn't had the baby. According to Doctor Hardy, she's due any day now," Jack answered.

"I see. Is that why you are here alone?"

Jack nodded. "Yes it is. I don't want her to stress herself out trying to make the trip."

"That makes sense. Would you like something to drink or eat while you wait?" Ann queried.

"Sure, a nice cold beer would really hit the spot about now," Jack replied eagerly. "I'd like some nachos too if it's not too much trouble to make them."

"It's no trouble at all," the barmaid answered merrily. "I'll get those for you right away."

Ann returned ten minutes later with a frosty beer in one hand and a bowl of delicious smelling nachos in the other. "Enjoy, and if you need anything else just ask!" the redhead chirped as she set the food and drink in front of the farmer.

Jack sat and sipped his beer and munched on the nachos until just before the ferry was due to arrive. After settling his bill with Doug he exited the inn and headed down towards the dock.

As he headed out onto the beach he noticed that the ferry was just entering into the bay. Sitting down on a bench he watched as the vessel made its way carefully over to the dock and pulled up alongside. A sturdy looking sailor jumped from the front of the small ship and quickly secured it to the dock with a heavy rope. He quickly moved to the rear of the ferry and secured it as well.

Once the ship was securely tied to the dock the passengers begin to disembark. Jack pushed himself to his feet and headed over to the gangway to wait for Jen to make her way off the boat.

"Hello Jack, it's nice to see you again!" A medium build woman with short sandy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes said as she walked down the ship's gangway towards the waiting farmer.

"Hello Jen, welcome back to our little slice of the world," Jack smiled happily embracing the girl in a friendly hug. "How was your trip?"

"For the most part is was nice. The sea was a little rough when we left the city, but other than that it was nice and smooth."

Jack took Jen's suitcase and they began the trip back to Forget Me Not Valley. Along the way Jen tried to get Jack caught back up on all the happenings in the world beyond the valley.

"Um Jen…you do realize we have the news here as well," Jack replied with a chuckle. "We're not totally cut off from the outside world," he added smiling at a now blushing Jen.

"Um… I'm sorry about that," Jen spluttered in a slightly embarrassed voice. "Flora's told me that too."

They continued along the dusty pathway and arrived back in the valley just as the sun was beginning to dip below the distant horizon.

"You know Jack; I'd forgotten just how nice the country is. It's so quiet and peaceful out here."

At that very moment Hugh and Kate came running out from behind one of the houses shattering the silence with their playful laughter. Jack looked over at Jen and smiled. "Well so much for your peace and quiet."

After another fifteen minutes of walking they finally arrived back at the farm. There they found Flora waiting for them on the porch. Jen ran over and happily hugged her sister warmly.

"Welcome back to our farm sis!" Flora chirped as she returned her sisters hug. 'You're looking good."

"Wow you look like you're going to have the baby any minute now," Jen quipped as she examined her older sister's swollen midsection. "Are you due to deliver soon?"

"Doctor Hardy thinks the baby should come any day now," Flora replied. "To be honest, I can't wait!"

"Please come inside and make yourself comfortable," Jack said as he opened the door to the house, allowing the two sisters to walk inside. "I'll get some dinner started while you two get caught up."

"Thank you Jack, do you mind making your spaghetti for us?" Flora asked as she and her sister took a seat on the couch.

Jack walked into the kitchen and began to prepare his famous spaghetti recipe. Once finished all three sat down and ate their meal heartily. Afterwords they enjoyed a pineapple upside down cake that Flora had gotten from Ruby earlier in the day.

"That was a wonderful meal," Jen sighed as she sat back in her chair. "Sorry if I seem rude, but it's been a long day and if you don't mind I'm going turn in for the night."

"We don't mind at all Jen. It was a long journey after all." Flora led her sister to the bedroom and showed her a place where she can set her suitcase.

"Um Flora, if I'm sleeping in here with you, where's Jack going to sleep."

"He's sleeping out on the couch," Flora answered plainly. "It's only for a couple of days so he'll survive."

"Thank you and good night Flora. Oh, by the way, what time do you guys usually wake up?"

Flora chuckled. "We usually are up no later than six in the morning. So get a good night's sleep. I've got big plans for us for tomorrow."

**XXX**

The following day Flora got things started by showing her sister around the farm, pointing out things that had changed since the wedding. Next was a tour of the town and lunch at the Inner Inn.

Flora smiled at her sister. "I recommend you try the meatloaf sandwich. No one makes a meatloaf sandwich like our Ruby!"

"That works for me. What are you having?" Jen asked curiously.

Flora sighed slightly. "I'm not really very hungry…. I think I'm just going to have a small garden salad."

Jen eyed her sister wryly. "Are you sure? You are eating for two after all."

Flora nodded slowly and gently caressed her swollen midsection. "Yeah, I'm sure…"

"You know Flora; you should really be taking it a bit easier, you're pregnant after all," Jen spoke in a slightly worried tone."After we finish lunch, let's head back to the farm."

"Alright, I suppose you're right. Sorry for being such a crummy hostess," Flora replied softly.

'Don't be silly sis; you're not a crummy hostess at all. I'm having a real good time."

Flora and Jen finished their lunch and started to head back to the farm. As they walked along the red brick pathway Jen noticed that Flora seemed to be having a bit of difficulty.

"Are you alright Flora? You look kind of pale."

"I'm fine… it's just a little warm out here, that's all. Stop being such a worrywart Jen."

"Well I can't help worrying about you Flora; you're my sister after all. When we get back to the farm you should take a nice long rest," Jen instructed in a somewhat stern voice.

Flora nodded in agreement and they continued on down the pathway in the direction of the farm.

It took the girls almost thirty minutes to return to the farm and Flora headed inside while Jen looked around for Jack. She found him in the stable brushing out Ayame's coat.

"She's really a pretty horse," Jen commented as she walked over to where Jack stood. "May I try brushing her?"

Jack nodded and handed the brush to Flora's sister. "Sure you can. She likes to have her mane brushed."

Jen accepted the brush and gently moved it through the horse's coat. After a few minutes Jen handed the brush back to Jack. "Thank you for that Jack, I'm going to head inside and see how Flora is doing. She was looking a little sick earlier."

"Alright, I'm almost done out here so I'll be there shortly," the farmer replied.

Jen walked back over to the house and opened the door, stepping into the cool confines of the farmhouse. Once inside she looked around for her sister but didn't see her.

"Flora, where are you?" Jen called out in a worried voice.

"I'm… I'm in the bathroom," Flora groaned in a distressed voice. "Jen, hurry and get Jack for me."

Without pausing to question why, Jen quickly ran out to the stable and grabbed Jack's arm. "Jack, something's wrong with Flora…" The two of them rushed back to the house as fast as possible.

Once back in the house Jack runs into the bathroom. "Flora what's wrong? Are you sick or something?"

"No Jack it's the baby… it's coming….,"

_Uh oh, what's going to happen now? Sorry for the cliffy but that's the way I'm feeling! Please take a moment and leave me a review. I really do appreciate everyone's feedback, I love you all! _


	12. A Welcome Arrival

_Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter,__** Moonlit Dreaming, Florays, Saki Hanajima-chan, AshRB, Hay Lin Rox, roxas-kh, klutz586,**__ and __**Momo-chan12. **__I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me what you think of my story!_

_Thank you, __**Maxindor Pepper**__ for pointing out my error with Ayame's name. Look for Angel to play a big role in this chapter. _

_Special thanks to __**Reyanna-chan **__and__** Evie **__for providing inspiration! _

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Harvest Moon, Natsume does. _

_**Chapter 12: A Welcome Arrival **_

"What did you just say…? Are you sure?" questioned a surprised Jack.

"I'm very sure Jack… my water just broke and I can feel the labor pains getting worse," Flora groaned between painful spasms.

"Alright… we planned this out… I just didn't expect to have to do it so soon," Jack replied trying not to panic as he helped Flora to her feet. "Jen, can you help me get her to the doctor's office?"

"Of course, it's no problem at all," Jen said as she positioned herself under her sister's arm, helping to support her as they made their way to Dr. Hardy's office.

It took them almost thirty minutes to arrive at the doctor's office. Walking inside they were immediately greeted by the doctor, who quickly had Flora lie down on a bed.

"Jack, please have a seat in the waiting room, I want to check on Flora and the baby's conditions. As soon as I know something, I'll get you."

Jack sighed nervously."Alright… but everything's alright, isn't it? I mean, Flora and the baby are going to be alright?"

"That's what I want to check now," he replied before turning and heading back into the room where Flora was waiting.

Jen walked over and took a seat in one of the orange plastic stools set up against the far wall of the waiting room. Jack however was far too nervous to sit and instead paced back and forth inside the small room.

"_Please Goddess… let Flora and the baby be alright,"_ he murmured to himself as he waited for the doctor's word on his wife and unborn child.

**XXX**

Inside the examination room Hardy made some quick checks to see how far along Flora was. As he did so a look of concern filled his face. Flora took immediate note of this and began to worry, wondering if something wrong. After completing a few more examinations he gave Flora a somewhat distressed look.

Flora could tell by that expression that all was not well and began to cry. "What's wrong doctor? Is there something wrong with the baby?" she whimpered between the painful cramps gripping her midsection. "Please… tell me what's wrong!"

"Your child is out of correct position for birth. Instead of being head first she's feet first."

"Oh my Goddess… No, no, this can't be happening," Flora sobbed.

Hardy took hold of Flora's hand. "Relax Flora; it's not as bad as it sounds. For the time being your baby is in no real danger."

Flora looked up at the medical professional standing next to her, her eyes pleaded desperation. "What… what will happen now? Will I still be able to give birth?"

"The answer to that question is yes. However, with your child out of correct position, a traditional birth is very risky. We may need to use an alternate method."

Flora gave him a confused look. "An alternate method… what does that mean?"

"It means that unless things change very soon, I will have to perform a cesarean section on you."

"You... you're going to cut me open to deliver my child?" Flora gasped. "Is that going to put the baby at greater risk?"

Hardy shook his head. "I won't lie to you Flora, there is risk involved. However that risk is far less than trying to deliver your child traditionally. Your contractions are still far enough apart to allow me time to summon my colleague Doctor Trent from Mineral Town. If we need to perform the cesarean section, he will assist me during the operation."

"Does Jack know this yet?"

Hardy shook his head. "Not yet, I'm going to tell him just as soon as I'm done here. I know all of this is very difficult to comprehend and I'm certain that it's very frightening for you, but I need you to try and relax as much as possible. I'm going to step out and talk to Jack and tell him what is happening and that we may need to perform the cesarean section. I will be right outside, call if you need me."

With those words, Dr. Hardy stepped out into the waiting area and removed the purple colored examination gloves, depositing them into a red waste container. As soon as Jack saw the medical man reappear, he quickly approached him worry plastered across the farmers face.

"What is going on… is everything alright with Flora and the baby?" he asked, taking note of the expression on the doctor's face. "Flora and the baby are alright… aren't they?"

"For the time being they are. However there's a problem. For now the child is out of correct position for a normal delivery. There is still time and it's possible that the infant will turn into correct position. But if that doesn't happen very soon or things begin to endanger Flora or the baby's life I will need to operate and remove the baby via a cesarean section."

As the words the doctor told him sink in, the color in Jack's face quickly drained away and Jen had to rush over to help the doctor support the farmer's weight as he began to stagger.

"Oh my Goddess… why does this have to happen to us?" he muttered softly as Jen and Dr. Hardy helped him to a stool and he sat down. "I'm going to lose my wife and unborn child…"

"Jack, it's not as bad as it seems," Jen began. "Cesarean sections are quite safe. In fact a good friend of mine has had both her children that way and both times everything came out just fine," she added hoping to help restore some of Jack's confidence.

"Indeed, Jack the procedure is actually a very safe," Hardy informed. "I am about to go and summon my colleague Doctor Trent from Mineral Town to assist me if the surgery becomes necessary. For now I need you to go and comfort Flora. She needs to relax as much as possible to reduce the strain on her as well as the baby."

Jack and Jen both quickly walk into the small room where Flora is lying. Flora watched as he husband entered and began to sob. "Oh Jack, I…I'm so sorry for this," she whimpered softly. "Did Doctor Hardy tell you what's happening?"

Jack sat down next to his wife and took hold of her hand. "Yes, he explained everything to me. Please don't blame yourself for this Flora; our baby will be just fine," he spoke in a reassuring voice before kissing her forehead softly.

Feeling somewhat reassured now that Jack was by her side Flora managed to form a weak smile. "I love you Jack…" she whispered before grimacing in pain.

A moment later Hardy walked back into the room."I just spoke to Doctor Trent and he's on his way here now. Are you feeling any unusual pain or having any difficulties breathing Flora?" he asked curiously as he examined her.

"No…" was all Flora was able to gasp before yet another painful cramp racked her body.

Hardy nodded. "That's good. Now we just have to wait and let nature take its course."

And wait is just what they did. For the next hour and forty five minutes Jack, Flora and Jen waited for the arrival of the child.

"How are you doing sweetie? Do you need anything?"

"Can you get me some water?" Flora answered softly. "My mouth is totally dry."

"You stay with your wife Jack, I'll get the water," Jen informed, getting up and walking out if the small room.

Flora's sister returned a few minutes later with a white Styrofoam glass of water and a red and white stripped straw. She handed it to Flora and sat back down.

Flora immediately took a few sips and sighed in relief. "Thank you… that's so much better," she sighed before taking another sip of the cool water. "My mouth and throat were all dried out."

Dr. Hardy reentered the room a moment later; accompanying him was a younger dark haired man and an auburn haired woman. "Jack, Flora, this is Doctor Trent and his nurse Elli. They will be assisting me if we need to perform the c-section today."

"It's nice to meet you Jack," Trent greeted as he extended his hand to the young farmer. "This is my nurse, Elli," he adds pointing to the girl standing next to him. "Doctor Hardy has told me what the condition is and rest assured things will be fine."

**XXX**

Another hour passed and after a final check of the unborn child's position the decision was made to proceed with the cesarean section.

"Jack, would you like to remain in the room with your wife during the operation?" Hardy questioned curiously.

"Um, can I?" he stammered. "I mean, won't I be in the way?"

"No not at all my boy. In fact I think it will be a big help to Flora to know that you are right there with her," the elder doctor answered.

Jack nodded and gave the two medical men a curious look."Alright, what do I need to do?"

Hardy walked over to a large white colored cabinet and opened the door. He removed a bundle wrapped in plastic and handed it to Jack. "First I need you to remove all your street clothes and put on these garments. Then I need you to wash your hands thoroughly. Please use the room next to us to do this. Lastly put the surgical mask on, insure you completely cover your mouth and nose."

Jack accepted the package and looked down at the mint green medical scrubs curiously.

"Wait in that room until Elli comes to get you," he added plainly. 'It won't be long."

Jack smiled and gave Flora a quick kiss before he and Jen walked out of the room. Once outside the farmer began to whimper softly.

"Don't worry Jack, Flora's a strong girl and it appears that she's in the best hands around," Jen spoke gently hoping to bolster the farmer's depressed mood. "In a short time you are going to be a father, you need to be strong for your wife and child."

"Thank you Jen, I needed that," he replied sounding a bit better. "This is just so unnerving and frightening for me, that's all."

Jen shook her head in understanding. "I know it is, but like I said you need to be strong! Now go and get changed so you can be with your wife.

Jack walked into the room and as instructed removed his clothes. He then redressed himself in the green medical garments and after thoroughly washing his hands he waited nervously to be called into the room to be with the woman he loved.

It seemed to take hours in Jack's confused and stressed mind but in reality it had only been about twenty five minutes when Elli finally walked into the room. She was also garbed in a similar manner as the young farmer.

"Alright Jack, we are ready for you. Please follow me," the young nurse instructed. "We are just about to begin the procedure."

Jack followed Elli into the white colored operating room and she directed him sit on a stool positioned next to his wife's head. Jack looked nervously around and noticed that an IV had been strung up and attached to Flora via a clear plastic tube running down from the clear bottle. A mint green cloth barrier had been erected just below Flora's chest blocking Jack's view of what was going on.

"Thank you for being here with me Jack." Flora croaked weakly. "I love you."

"I love you too Flora, now just relax… everything will be alright," Jack replied, trying to sound as positive as he could given the situation that he and his wife were currently facing. "Both you and the baby will be fine," he added while gently caressing her cheek with his hand.

"Alright Flora, we're about to begin the procedure, just relax as best that you can and remember to breathe normally."

Hardy looked at his colleague and nodded."Alright doctor let's begin…"

**XXX**

Jack watched intently as Flora weaved in and out of semi consciousness. Just as Hardy had told them, the whole procedure took just under an hour to complete.

"We're just about there, just a little bit longer," Hardy informed them from behind the screen. "You are doing great Flora and everything's going just fine."

Moments later the sweetest sound in the world fills both Jack and Flora's ears. The sound of their newly born child's cries!

"Congratulations you two, it's a girl!" Trent informed happily as he carefully passed the crying infant to his nurse so that she could clean and weigh the newborn.

"You did it Flora! I knew that you could!" Jack cooed to his wife. "I love you both so much!" he added, giving her a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"Your daughter's weight is seven pounds and six and one half ounces and she is nineteen inches long," Elli informed them as she gently wrapped the still crying infant in a soft aquamarine colored blanket. "She's a happy and beautiful little angel, congratulations," the nurse added as she handed the precious bundle to Jack.

"Do you have a name picked out for her?" the nurse questioned a moment later.

Jack beamed happily. "Her name is Sierra. Look at her Flora…" the farmer cooed as he pulled the edge of the blanket back revealing Sierra's face. "She's just so beautiful."

"Yes she is…" Flora muttered softly, the lingering effects of the ordeal she had just undergone damping her enthusiasm somewhat.

"If you would like Jack, you may show the baby to Flora's sister while we finish up here," Hardy said. "Once we are done Flora will be moved to a recovery room and once she's there, you can both see her."

Jack nodded and snuggled the precious bundle that was Sierra next to his chest. "I'll do that, I'm sure Jen wants to see the baby!" Jack replied before leaning forward and kissing Flora's forehead."I'll be back to see you just as soon as they let me."

Flora nodded. "Thank you Jack…"

As soon as Jen saw Jack walk out she got up and quickly moved over to him."Oh, let me see the baby!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl… her name is Sierra," Jack beamed proudly as he pulled the aquamarine blanket away, allowing Jen to peer in awe at the tiny infant.

"Oh Jack, she's so adorable! I'm so happy for you and Flora."

For the next hour Jack and Jen sit and cooed over Sierra. Finally Dr. Hardy walked back into the room and approached where Jack and Jen were sitting.

"First of all let me congratulate you Jack," he began. "Flora is recovering well and you both can go and see her now. Please come with me," he instructed, indicating that they should follow him. "She may still be a bit groggy but that will pass shortly."

The doctor led them down to Flora's room and opened the door. Jack, still carrying Sierra, and Jen walked inside and found Flora resting in bed. Jack smiled and stepped over to her and gently placed the tiny infant into her mother's waiting arms.

"Oh Jack, she's just so beautiful!" she cooed softly as she gazed lovingly at her newborn daughter. "I'm so glad that everything went as well as it did."

"You did an amazing job sis, congratulations!" Jen smiled. "Sierra is so precious."

"Yes she is… and I'm so thankful for her. Dr. Hardy told me that because of the surgery, I will have to remain here for at least the next three days. And after I return home I will need to take it easy for a while so that I can heal properly," Flora said plainly.

Jen looked over to Jack and grinned. "It sounds like you may need a hand for a little while Flora recovers," she chuckled. "I can stay and help out around the farm and with the baby if you'd like me to."

Jack smiled back at Flora's sister. "I'd really appreciate that Jen. You don't mind if your sister helps out do you Flora?"

"No I don't mind… that's fine Thank you Jen."

"It's no problem, after all what are sisters for!" Jen replied with a smile.

Jack sat down on the bed next to his wife and daughter. "I love you both so much!" he cooed happily. "Thank you Flora… for enduring all of this and blessing me with a wonderful daughter," he added before kissing her cheek sweetly.

"You're welcome Jack," Flora spoke softly.

Jack and Jen decided to end their visit a short time later to allow a very tired Flora to get some much deserved rest. Jack gently placed Sierra in her bassinet next to Flora's bed and after giving both his special girls a kiss he and Jen head back to the farm.

**XXX**

For the next two days Jack and Jen visited Flora and Sierra as they recovered and gained strength at the clinic. Flora recovered quickly and by the third day she was ready to be released and return home. As she got ready to leave Dr. Hardy gave her some instructions to follow and wished her well. Once back at the farm Jack helped Flora over to the couch and adjusted the pillows so that she was as comfortable as possible. He then placed a sleeping Sierra in her bassinet.

Angel joined Flora on the couch and meowed happily as the blond haired girl scratched the calico colored cat under her chin. The multicolored feline then turned her attention to the newest member of her family. Curiously she sniffed the bassinet and the infant lying inside.

Flora watched curiously as Angel investigated her daughter for several minutes. She then watched in amazement as Angel jumped into the bassinet. After a bit more sniffing she gently licked Sierra's cheek, causing her to coo happily. The calico colored cat then began to knead the area next to the baby and finally she curled up next to the child, purring softly as she closed her golden colored eyes to sleep.

"Hm… I guess you've accepted Sierra," Flora smiled as she watched Angel and her 'kitten' sleep.

Jack joined them short time later and smiled. "Aw…, that's so cute!" he chirped as he gazed in on Sierra. "Hey Jen, come over here and see what Angel's doing."

Jen was just finishing setting the dinner dishes out and walked over to where Jack was standing and looked in the bassinet. "Aw… so cute, it's as though the cat has adopted Sierra as her 'kitten.' Anyway, dinner is just about ready so please have a seat at the table."

Jack helped Flora to her feet and together they walked over and sat down at the table just as Jen began to bring out the food.

"I hope that you both like Swiss style goulash and rice," Jen said as she placed a bowl of steamed rice on the table. She turned on her heels and headed back to the kitchen, returning with a bowl of gravy covered goulash.

"Mm…, it sure smells good Jen!"

"You haven't lost your touch," Flora said between mouthfuls of food. "This is just like when we were kids and you used to cook for me."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Jen giggled. "Eat up you two, I made plenty!"

After dinner Jack helped his wife back over to the couch and took a spot next to her. Jen joined them, pulling up a chair and sitting down. For the next hour they talked about babies, the future, and life in general. A yawing Flora told them that it was late and it was time to go and get some sleep. After all, in a couple of hours Sierra would be awake, ready to be fed and probably changed as well.

_Yeah, Sierra's finally here! I hope that everyone likes the way this chapter came out. As always please take a moment to leave me a review. Thanks! _


	13. Sisters

_Thank you so much to the following wonderful readers for your reviews of the last chapter! __**Florays, Saki Hanajima-chan, fuzzi fox, Pause11, Moonlit Dreaming, Momo-chan12, Hay Lin Rox, roxas-kh, S. King, **__and __**klutz586. **__I love you all! _

_A special shout out goes to __**Momo-chan12**__ for being the 100th person to review this story. Yay You! _

_**Disclaimer:**__ Natsume owns Harvest Moon, not me._

_**Chapter 13: Sisters**_

It had been a little more than two weeks since Flora and baby Sierra had come home and already things seemed to have returned to normal. Flora, though still recovering and not able to do a lot, continued to heal well.

"Hey Jack, do you need a hand with the chores?" Jen asked curiously. "My knowledge of farming is pretty limited, but I thought I'd ask you anyway."

Jack smiled. "Sure, I could really use a hand. Could you help me by watering the crops? That doesn't really require much farming skill. The watering can is over next to the pond."

"Um, sure no problem… I guess I can do that."

Jack watched curiously as his wife's younger sister walked over to the pond and picked up the watering can. After filling it she headed over to the nearest field and began to carefully water the plants one row at a time. Satisfied that she could handle the task without his help, he headed into the chicken coop.

**XXX**

"Come on Sierra, just a little more sweetie," Flora coaxed softly as she tried to entice the tiny infant in her arms to finish her bottle of formula.

Sierra squirmed in her mother's arms before going back to work on her still half full bottle. A few minutes later she spat the nipple out and began to cry. Flora removed the bottle and after placing it on the table she took her daughter and placed her gently over her shoulder. Softly she patted Sierra's back until the child burped.

"Nice one sweetie," Flora giggled as she walked across the room, stopping in front of a white rectangular table covered with a light pink blanket. There she gently placed Sierra on her back and without hesitation changed her diaper.

"Whew, you really filled that one up!" Flora commented as she removed the soiled garment from her daughter and deposited in the trash can next to the changing table. "Let's get you cleaned up and then it's time for your nap."

**XXX**

In the chicken coop Jack was just finishing up collecting the eggs when the door to the coop opened and Jen walked inside.

"Ugh, Flora was right, it totally reeks in here!"

The farmer gave Flora's sister a curious glance. "Are you done watering the fields already? That didn't take you very long to do."

"Sure am, that enhanced watering can you have makes it quick work," Jen answered plainly. "What are you doing in here?"

"Well, I just finished collecting the eggs and I was about to feed them," he answered. "Say Jen, would you like to try feeding them?"

Jen scrutinized the feed bag lying next to Jack and stepped back a bit. "Um…, no I don't think I want to do anything like that. I'm not really into this whole farming thing nearly as much as my sister is. I'll stick to getting my eggs from the market!"

"Aw…, that's too bad, the hens were so looking forward to being fed by you," Jack laughed as he began to spread the feed much to the delight of his hungry birds. "You don't know what you're missing."

"I'll take your word for it." Jen replied as she headed quickly for the door. "I'm going head over to the house and see how Flora and the baby are doing."

"Alright, tell Flora I'll be in just as soon as I finish the rest of the chores."

Jen walked over to the stone farmhouse and opened the door, walking inside she found it quiet. A quick look around and she found Flora asleep on the couch. Next to her was Sierra's bassinet. Jen quietly walked over and looked in on the sleeping infant. A soft smile crossed her lips as she looked at Angel and Sierra cuddled together and sleeping soundly.

"_Aw… that's just so sweet,"_ she mused to herself as she gazed at the calico colored cat wrapped protectively around the sleeping infant.

The younger blond turned and quietly headed over to the kitchen to find a cold drink. Opening the fridge, she rummaged around a bit before pulling out a clear glass pitcher half full of orange juice. Closing the door to the refrigerator, she put the pitcher down on the table and began to search the cabinets for a glass.

"They're in the cupboard above the sink," a voice behind her informed plainly. "You are looking for a glass, right?"

Jen turned around and eyed her sister standing at the kitchens entryway. "I thought you were sleeping?" she asked curiously as she reached up and opened the cupboard door. "Do you want some juice too?" she asked as she withdrew two glasses from the cabinet.

"I woke up when I heard you come inside, and yes, I could use something to drink," Flora replied as she took a seat at the kitchen table.

Flora's sister placed the glasses down on the table and picked up the pitcher of juice, filling both cups. Once they are full she set the pitcher back down and selected a glass before taking a seat.

"How are you feeling Flora? You seem to be doing pretty good these days."

"I'm feeling alright. It still hurts a bit if I try and do too much at one time though."

"That's good, I'm glad you're feeling better," Jen chirped before taking a sip of her juice. "Sierra's such a cute baby… you and Jack are so lucky."

Flora smiled back at her sister. "Thank you, we really do feel blessed to have her in our lives."

Jen gave her sister a smile. "I was wondering something Flora, what first attracted you to Jack?"

"Hm…, I'm not really sure of what it was." Flora chuckled softly. "To be honest, the first time I met him I kind of thought he was a goofball."

"Really, why was that?"

"Well it was…" Flora began but stopped abruptly. "Hey, why should I tell you anything about how Jack and I met?"

Jen smiled at her elder sibling. "Well, because I'm your sister, that's why. And sisters always tell each other everything. It's like this unwritten sister law."

"Oh really, then how is it that you never told me what happened the night of your junior prom? As I remember you came home in tears and locked yourself in your room for two days!" Flora retorted. "If sisters don't keep secrets then tell me what happened that night."

Jen grimaced at the thought of revealing the details of that night. "Touché sis, I guess some things should be left unknown, even between sisters."

Flora chuckled before taking another sip of her juice. "Hey Jen, could you do me a favor and get me some cookies? They're in the cabinet next to the fridge."

"What am I, your servant? You're not helpless, if you want some cookies then get them yourself."

"Geez is that how you talk to someone who's recovering from surgery? Such a lousy bedside manner, I hope you don't plan on a career as a doctor."

"Alright, alright you've made your point," Jen replied as she got up and walked over to the cabinet and retrieved the package of chocolate chip cookies. She returned to the kitchen table and placed the package in front of her sister. "There, are you happy now?"

"I sure am. Thank you Jen," Flora chirped happily. "Would you like one? Double chocolate chip…"

Jen accepted one of the chocolate chip cookies and took a small bite. "Thank you for being kind enough to share with me."

Flora frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? I used to share everything with you."

Jen shook her head. "Hand me down clothes and broken toys does not constitute as sharing my dear sister."

Flora grinned at her sister. "Hey, that's better than nothing at all…"

Jen was about to reply when Sierra's cries grabbed their attention. Flora started to get up but Jen motioned for her to stay seated. "You stay put, I'll get her."

Jen walked over to the bassinet and looked inside. "Aw, what's the matter Sierra? Are you hungry? Well, come here to Auntie Jen and I'll take care of you."

Flora's sister carefully lifted the crying baby from her bassinet and walked back over to the table. She cradled the still whining child in her arms and waited as Flora worked to prepare her bottle.

Ten minutes later the elder blond returned to the table and placed the bottle of warm formula on the table. She then reached out to take her daughter but Jen refused to give the child up.

"If you don't mind, I'll feed her."

"Are you sure about that Jen, I don't want you to tell everyone that I took advantage of you."

"I'm sure," Jen answered as she picked up the bottle and placed the red rubber nipple in Sierra's mouth. The child was instantly silent as she drank eagerly.

Flora eyed her sister wryly suspecting that Jen had some kind of alternate motive for being so helpful. She sat back down and took another cookie, nibbling it slowly as she watched her younger sister feed her daughter.

Jen looked up and grinned. "Wow, I guess she was pretty hungry. Don't you ever feed this poor child?" she added in a teasing voice.

"Of course I feed her," Flora retorted loudly. "She just gets hungry often."

"I know that Flora, I'm just teasing you."

Flora huffed and finished her cookie.

"Say Flora, why do you only give her a bottle? How come you don't try breast feeding her?"

Flora shook her head. "I've tried a couple of times, but she refused to latch on to my nipple. That and the time or two that she did, it hurt me. So I decided to use only bottles."

"I see. Well at least you do still give her your breast milk, even if it is in a bottle."

A short time later Sierra finished her bottle. After burping the child Jen playfully tickled her causing Sierra to coo and giggled happily.

"You know Jen, you look good like that. When are you going get married and finally settle down?"

Jen shrugged her shoulders and looked at her elder sister. "Who knows? I'm not really ready to be tied down with a family and all."

"Yeah, well just don't wait too long, remember, you're not getting any younger."

"That may be true, but I'm still younger than you," Jen teased back.

Angel hopped up on the table and padded over to where Jen and Sierra were sitting. The cat looked at Jen and meowed loudly as if to say _'give me my kitten back_._'_ She then turned and hopped down from the table and sat down next to Jen.

"Well now, I guess I should give Sierra back to her real mommy," Jen quipped as she got up and walked over to the child's bassinet. She placed the still squirming infant in and tucked the light pink blanket around her. Angel joined her a moment later and after a bit of kneading curled up next to the baby.

"That's not at all funny Jen. I'm her real mother not the cat!"

"Oh Flora, you really need to lighten up," Jen sighed. "You always get so mad so easily."

"Yeah, well when you have a sister as annoying as you it kind of comes with the territory."

"Are you referring to innocent me?" Jen replied sounding surprised. "I'm such a loving sister and that little comment hurt my feelings," she pouted playfully.

Both women look at each other for a moment before bursting out in a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked as he walked into the house. "I could hear you two laughing all the way outside."

The two sisters looked at each other and once again burst into uncontrolled laughter. "It's just some sister stuff that you wouldn't understand," Jen informed Jack playfully.

The brown haired farmer just shook his head and headed over to the kitchen to get something cold to drink.

**XXX**

Jen remained a guest at Pallet Farm for another few days, until she was fully satisfied that her sister was able to handle caring for Sierra. On a bright sunny morning Jack accompanied her as she headed back to Mineral Town to catch the afternoon ferry. The trip took most of the morning and they arrived just before the ship is scheduled to make port.

Once the small vessel was tied up to the dock Jack and Jen walk out onto the pier and over to the waiting ship.

"Please take good care of my niece and my sister Jack," Jen said, stopping at the foot of the ferry's gangway. "Even though it may seem as though Flora and I aren't really that close, I do love her dearly."

"Don't worry Jen, I love both of them and I'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe and to make them happy."

"Thank you for that Jack," Jen smiled softly as she gave him a warm hug. Remember to take care of yourself as well."

"You too Jen, have a safe trip back."

The ship departed Mineral Town a short time later and Jack waved until the vessel disappeared over the horizon. He then walked off of the pier and began the return trip to Forget Me Not Valley.

_OK, that was kind of a short chapter but I had fun writing it. I hope that everyone likes this little bit of sisterly love. As always please take a moment and leave me a review and let me know what you think. Arigato-gozaimasu! _


	14. Anniversary

_Thanks to the following readers for their kind reviews of the previous chapter,__** Pause11, Saki Hanajima-chan, Florays, Moonlit Dreaming, Momo-chan12, roxas-kh, S. King, **__and __**fuzzi fox.**__ I hope you like this chapter as well. _

_**Disclaimer:**__ Guess what, Natsume owns Harvest Moon not me. _

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Momo-chan12**__ for all her awesome ideas and support! _

_**Chapter 14: Anniversary**_

Jack woke up earlier than usual on this particular day. For him it was the anniversary of a day that had changed his life forever. It was one year ago today that he had wed his lovely wife Flora.

The brown haired farmer slipped out of the bed and quietly changed into his work clothes. He leaned over and softly kissed Flora's soft cheek before walking out of the bedroom, quietly closing the door as he did so.

Jack exited the house and strode over to the barn, pushing the light colored wooden door open and heading inside. He walked over to the fodder bin and took out a handful of the dried grass. Their animals were eagerly waiting for him and he began to go about the task of caring and feeding them. After he was satisfied with the condition of the animals in the barn, he headed over to the chicken coop and a similar scenario was repeated with the care of their poultry.

Jack took the eggs and placed all but twelve of them into the shipping bin. His morning chores now complete he headed back over to the house, pausing at the door and gazing at the now rising sun.

"_Today was going to be a great day for us!" _

The farmer opened the door and entered the silent confines of the house. He walked over to the kitchen and put the eggs down on the marble counter-top. He then stepped over to Sierra's crib and looked in on his still sleeping daughter, who was cuddled sweetly with Angel. Smiling he returned to the kitchen area and using the eggs he'd gathered earlier, he began to prepare breakfast.

**XXX**

The warm rays of the sun dancing on her face brought Flora back from her night time trip to dreamland. Her violet eyes fluttered open and she stretched her limbs gently. The smell of breakfast cooking filled her nose and she sat up curiously. After getting dressed she opened the door to the bedroom and walked out. Looking over at the kitchen she noticed that Jack was busily preparing their morning meal.

"Good morning Jack," she greeted happily, giving her husband a sweet kiss. "What's this, why are you cooking?"

"It's our breakfast, what's it look like silly."

"Well I can see that, but the real question is why are you making it instead of doing the chores?"

"It's because today's a special day for us," he answered happily. "It was one year ago that you changed my life forever sweetie," he added, pulling his wife into a loving hug. "I love you Flora and I figured I'd give you a break today and make breakfast for you."

It took a moment for Flora's mind to register what her husband was talking about but she quickly realized that he was referring to their wedding anniversary. "I love you to Jack," she cooed sweetly. "I think that is a really sweet of you too make me breakfast."

They separated a moment later and Jack returned his attention to the omelet that he was preparing. Flora took that time to use the bathroom and change into her everyday clothes in their bedroom. A smile crossed the sandy haired girl's face as she walked back to the kitchen, just as Jack was finishing up the final preparations. Taking a seat at the table she watched as her husband placed a plate of delicious smelling eggs and bacon in front of her.

"Mmm…, this omelet sure smells good Jack. If the farm fails you could always try a career as a chef!"

Her husband smiled back. "Nah, I don't like that big floppy hat they have to wear."

Flora smiled back and was about to begin eating when the sounds of Sierra crying caught their attention. Flora was about to stand up when Jack placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"You go ahead and start to eat sweetie, I'll take care of Sierra."

Jack walked over to his daughters crib and looked in on the squirming infant. "Good morning Sierra! Are you hungry sweetie?" he asked the child playfully before lifting her gently out of the crib and cradling her in his arms.

"I have some breast milk for her in the fridge," Flora explained plainly. "I'll take her while you heat it up."

Jack nodded and walked over to Flora and placed the squirming child into her outstretched arms. "I'll get the milk heated up right away."

Flora smiled as she looked into Sierra's glimmering violet eyes. Never in her wildest imaginations did she picture herself as a doting mother. Yet that's exactly what she'd become and in fact, she couldn't be happier!

Jack finished warming the bottle and returned to his wife. He set the bottle down on the table and took his daughter from Flora. He then cradled her in the crook of his arm and began to feed the hungry child. Flora watched as her husband feed the girl.

"Say Jack, did you ever think that you would be so happy to be a parent?"

The farmer shrugged his shoulders. "To be honest, it never really crossed my mind."

Flora gave her husband a curious look. "Are you saying that you never thought about being a dad?"

Jack shook his head. "No, I never did. Things like that are not really what a guy thinks about. Now if you asked me about cars that would be another story!"

"I see. So what would you like to do for our special day?" Flora questioned curiously.

"Well, I was thinking about taking you out for a nice romantic evening," Jack replied happily. "First I was thinking that we could have dinner at the Inner Inn. Then head over to the Blue Bar for a few drinks and maybe a dance or two."

"Hm…, that sounds like a lot of fun. But who can we get to watch Sierra while we're gone?"

"Well, I was thinking that Muffy and Rock could watch her while we're out. After all they are always asking to see her."

Flora nodded her head. "Yeah, that would work. I'll give Muffy a call and ask her if they're available to sit tonight."

"Sounds good to me," Jack smiled as he placed Sierra on his shoulder and gently patted the girl's back, eliciting a series of burps from the small child.

Flora grinned at her husband as she took Sierra from him. "Don't worry; I'll take care of her diaper for you."

"Thanks Flora. While you are doing that, I'll get the table cleared and the dishes washed."

"Thanks," Flora replied simply. She then turned her attention to changing her daughter's soiled diaper. Once the task was completed she placed the child into her playpen and headed over to the phone to call her friend Muffy.

**XXX**

After finishing with the dishes Jack headed outside to water their crops and do some much needed weeding. He returned two hours later and found both Flora and Angel on the couch intently watching television. Flora smiled as she watched him approach them.

"Did you get a hold of Muffy?"

"Sure did, and she said that she and Rock would be happy to watch Sierra while we go out tonight," she answered happily.

"That's great! But I hope they know what they're getting themselves in to."

Flora shrugged her slender shoulders. "I don't know if they do or they don't, but it shouldn't be anything that they can't handle after all. I told them to come by around six o'clock."

"That works, by that time Sierra is usually ready for bed anyway."

**XXX**

As the sun began to disappear below the distant horizon the sky above Forget Me Not Valley was awash in dark hues of orange and red. Muffy lead the way as she and Rock walked through the gate of Pallet Farm. Together they walked up to the farmhouse door and knocked on the door.

"Oh, it sounds like Muffy and Rock are here," Flora chirped as she got up off the couch and headed over to answer door.

Flora opened the door and smiled, greeting Muffy and Rock warmly. "Hey guys, come on in."

"Hello Rock, how have you been lately?" Jack asked in a friendly tone, extending his hand towards the young man.

"I'm doing alright. Mom keeps me busy at the Inn; you know how things can be sometimes," he replied accepting Jack's handshake.

"Yes, I sure do. It seems like work never ends!" Jack chuckled in reply.

"So what do you two lovebirds have planned for this special night?" Muffy inquired curiously.

"Well first off we're going to have a nice romantic dinner at the Inner Inn and then I was thinking of a nice stroll along the beach, and finally a night cap at the Blue Bar," Flora explained cheerfully.

"Oh my, that certainly sounds nice and romantic," Muffy giggled. "Please enjoy yourselves tonight and don't worry about a thing, Rock and I have got it all covered."

"We sure do! Now you two go and have fun!" Rock added, giving them his trademark perfect smile.

"Alright, Sierra's sleeping right now, but she will probably wake up in an hour or so for her evening feeding," Flora explained. "Her bottles are already made up and are in the fridge, just heat it up and give it to her."

"That sounds easy enough to do. Then when she's finished drinking we have to burp her, right?" Rock asked curiously.

"You got it. Her diapers are under the changing table along with the baby wipes. Make sure you change her before you put her down for the night." Jack grinned, pointing to the tan cloth covered table next to the sleeping child's crib.

"D…, diapers?" Rock gulped. "Um Muffy, you never mentioned anything about having to change her diapers when I agreed to help you!"

"Don't worry Rock; I've got it all covered," Muffy giggled.

"Alright then, if you two are all set, we're going to go. Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Flora asked hesitantly.

"Of course we will, don't worry about a thing," Muffy replied as she escorted Jack and Flora to the door. "You two just have fun and don't worry about a thing!"

As they walked towards the gate of their farm Flora paused for a moment. "Say Jack, do you think they're really going to be alright?"

"No worries Flora, they'll be fine," Jack answered in a reassuring voice. "I mean what could possibly happen in the short time that we will be gone?"

"Yeah, I suppose that you're right… come on, I'm hungry!"

**XXX**

Back inside the farmhouse Muffy and Rock had just finished preparing a variety of snacks and were making themselves comfortable on the couch in preparation of watching some television, when the cries of a hungry baby filled their ears.

Rock gulped and looked worriedly at Muffy."Uh oh, it sounds like Sierra's woken up."

"Don't worry Rock, I told you that I've got it all covered," Muffy reassured as she strolled over and gently lifted the crying child from her crib. "Aw, are you hungry sweetie?" Muffy cooed happily.

She carried Sierra over to where Rock was standing and handed her to him. "Alright Sierra, you be a good little girl for your Uncle Rock. I'll be right back with your bottle," Muffy chirped merrily.

Nervously Rock accepted the squirming little girl and gently cradled her in his arms. He watched as Muffy headed into the kitchen to prepare the bottle.

It didn't take the blond haired barmaid long to heat the milk. After testing it on the inside of her wrist to make sure that it's not too hot she took Sierra and began to feed the hungry child. Rock could only watch in amazement as Muffy fed the little girl seemingly effortlessly.

"Wow, you're pretty good at that Muf, Have you had to feed a baby before? I mean you make it look so easy."

Muffy grinned back. "Well to be honest when I was back in the city our neighbor had a baby and I used to baby-sit for them. That's how I know what to do."

"Ah, that explains that. I've never even seen that done before… that is, feeding a baby…" Rock stammered.

"Don't worry about it Rock when the time comes for you to be a father, I'm sure you'll do just fine."

A look of fear washed over the young man. "W…what, me, a father? There's no way that will ever happen!"

Muffy just smiled back. "So you say Rock, so you say."

As Sierra finished her bottle Rock placed a white rag over his left shoulder and reached out for the now silent child. "Alright Sierra, how about you give us a nice burp?" he cooed sweetly while gently patting the child on her back.

Sierra responded a few moments later with a series of burps, spitting up a small amount of her dinner onto the rag draped over Rock's shoulder. This completed Rock turned to his girlfriend. "So now that she's been fed and burped, what do we have to do now?"

"Well, let's put her back in the crib and see if she'll go back to sleep," Muffy suggested.

"Alright, but what about her… um, you know… her diaper?" Rock questioned with a tinge of fear evident in his voice. "Shouldn't we change her first before putting her back in the crib?"

Muffy nodded. "Yeah you're right, we should probably change her first." The blond sighed as she walked over to Sierra's changing table. Rock joined her and gently placed Sierra onto the blanket covered table top.

Rock watched silently as Muffy removed the soiled garment and placed it to the side. "Ew that really stinks!" he gagged while holding his nose. "How could something so cute do something that stinks so badly?"

Muffy rolled her emerald green eyes. "That's just what babies do. It's not as if you were any better when you were that age."

Once finished, Muffy then picked Sierra up and carried the squirming infant over to her crib. She placed the now wide awake little girl inside and carefully tucked the blankest in around her. She then watched curiously as Angel joined her a moment later.

"Hey Rock can you do me a favor and put the dirty diaper in the waste can please?" Muffy asked, pointing to the soiled garment still resting on the changing table.

"Um…, yeah, sure I guess I can," he replied, using two fingers to carefully lift the diaper as though it was some kind of toxic waste. He deposited it into the trash and quickly ran over to the kitchen where he spent the next ten minutes washing his hands.

After drying his hands he rejoined Muffy on the couch and as they prepared to watch a movie Sierra's cries once again filled the air. Both Rock and Muffy look at each other, got up and walk over to the crying child's crib.

_It was gonna be a long night…_

**XXX**

At the Inner Inn Jack and Flora had just finished up with a delicious dinner and were just beginning a decadently delicious dessert of chocolate mousse.

"Oh, this is so good! I don't know how Ruby makes this so fluffy." Flora sighed happily as she scooped up the rich chocolate confection and took another bite.

"I'll defiantly agree with you there, Ruby really can cook well."

Just as they were finishing the last remains of their dessert the inn's portly hostess walked up to their table and gave them a warm smile. "Can I get you anything else tonight?"

"No thank you Ruby, I think we're pretty much done," Jack replied happily. 'Everything was very good, as usual."

"Thank you for the complement Jack, I'm happy that you enjoyed it," the innkeeper replied as a slight blush filled her cheeks. "Please come back anytime!"

After paying for their meal the happy couple headed down to the beach for a romantic stroll under the full moon.

"The ocean is so pretty at night, don't you think Jack?" Flora says softly as she placed her arm around Jack's waist.

"It sure is. But even with its moonlit splendor, it pales in comparison to your beauty Flora."

"Aw… that's so sweet of you to say Jack," Flora cooed before pulling her husband into a passionate kiss.

They separate a few minutes later and continue to walk a bit further before deciding to sit down and relax on a empty moonlit bench.

"You know Flora, even now this all still seems like a dream to me," Jack spoke softly. "It's hard to believe that we've already been married for a year. It seems like just yesterday that I walked into the mine and found you."

"I agree time sure seems to have flown by hasn't it?" Flora sighed in reply. "Who would have thought a year ago that I'd be married let alone a mother."

"Yeah I know what you mean. I never imagined that I could be a father either. But you know what Flora, I couldn't be happier! I love you now and I'll love you forever sweetie!"

"And I love you too Jack," Flora cooed as the two closed the distance between their lips for another sweet kiss.

**XXX**

Back on Pallet Farm things had gone from bad to worse for the two would-be baby sitters.

"Jeez Muf, she won't stop crying!" Rock whined loudly. "Maybe she needs to be changed again or something?"

"Well you saw how I did it Rock, go ahead and change her," Muffy retorted as she rocked the restless infant in her arms. "Come on sweetie, won't you go to sleep for your Auntie Muffy?"

Sierra's answer to Muffy's question was another long round of crying, much to the chagrin of her caretakers.

"Here, let's try her pacifier," Rock said, offering the rubber and plastic device. "Maybe she wants this to help her sleep."

"Alright, I'll give it a try," Muffy replied as she took the pink colored pacifier from her boyfriend and offered it to the crying infant.

To their continued disappointment Sierra spat out the pacifier out and to their chagrin, she cried even louder.

"Ah, make it stop Muffy!" Rock howled. "I can't take it anymore!"

"I'm trying to Rock, jeez…" Muffy huffed in an exasperated voice. "She just doesn't seem to want to sleep right now."

'No…!" Rock cried out in anguish. "I'm not gonna make it!"

_Yep, a long night indeed! _

**XXX**

Back at Forget Me Not Valley's beach Jack and Flora were still relaxing and admiring the beauty of the moonlit sea in front of them along with the shimmering stars above their heads.

"How about we head over to the bar for a drink?" Jack asked hopefully. "I'm starting to get kind of thirsty."

"Sure, that sounds nice," Flora replied happily. "Let's go!"

Jack stood up and extended his hand to his wife, helping her to get up. Together they exited the beach and headed over to the valley's local watering hole. Walking inside they found the tavern relatively empty, so they walked over and took a seat at the dark colored wooden bar. Griffin gave them a nod them and walked over.

"Evening folks, what can I get for ya?"

"Good evening Griffin, I'd like a beer," Jack told the elder man.

The barkeeper nodded and looked over at Flora. "How about you Flora, what would you like tonight?"

Flora thought about the question for a few moments before giving the barkeeper her answer. "Well, since it's our anniversary I think I'll have a pink moonbeam. That's what I had the night you proposed to me."

"I'll get those up right away," Griffin replied as he turned and walked over to the other end of the wooden bar to prepare the drinks.

"It's too bad they're not doing karaoke tonight, I'd love to see you onstage again. You looked really good up there."

"Yeah well I kind of wish it had been under better circumstances," Flora replied. "If I remember correctly we weren't talking at that time."

Jack nodded slowly. "That's true, and it was all because I was too stupid to not trust you around Gray. What a fool I was."

Flora was about to answer but she was interrupted by Griffin returning with their drinks."Enjoy your drinks folks. Let me know of you need anything else."

"But it all worked out in the end," Flora said after taking a sip from her pink moonbeam. "So we live and learn."

"It sure did," Jack agreed happily. "Now I have a beautiful wife and daughter and I couldn't be happier."

The mention of their daughter caused a look of concern to wash across Flora's face. "I hope Muffy and Rock are doing alright with her."

"Don't be such a worry wart. She's probably sound asleep and Muffy and Rock are probably on the couch with Angel watching television."

"I suppose you're right." Flora sighed before taking another sip from her drink. "Sorry for being such a worrywart."

"That's alright, you're just being a good mother is all," Jack answered. "Come on I like this song, let's dance a little."

The happy couple enjoyed several dances that evening, including a soft slow dance, a particular favorite of Jack's.

"Hm…, it's getting pretty late Jack, let's head back home, alright?" Flora said as they finished up the last dance.

"Sure, I'm starting to get a little sleepy anyway."

After finishing up the last of their drinks, and saying good night to Griffin, Jack and Flora exited the Blue Bar and headed back towards their farm.

A short time later they arrived and paused before heading up to the house. Jack wrapped his arms around Flora's waist and pulled her close to him. "Thank you for this past year Flora, I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you," he cooed before pressing his lips softly onto the lips of his wife. The kiss lasted just a few seconds and Flora gave her husband a smile when it was done.

"I love you to Jack, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," she whispered sweetly. "I look so forward to the many more years we have together."

"Come on let's head inside and see how Rock and Muffy faired," Jack chuckled as he headed towards the farmhouse.

The sound of the door opening caught Muffy's attention. "Oh look Rock, Jack and Flora are back! We're saved!"

"Um… it doesn't look as though things went so well here," Flora spoke as she looked at a totally frazzled Muffy and Rock.

"She wouldn't stop crying! No matter what we did she just kept on crying!" Rock pouted loudly. "I thought my ears were going to fall off."

"I don't know what went wrong. We tried everything I know to get a baby to stop crying," Muffy added as she handed the still crying Sierra to her mother. "She just wouldn't stop crying!"

Much to the pair's amazement as soon as she's given to her mother, Sierra became silent. They stared unbelievably as Flora gently rocked the exhausted child in her arms.

"You just missed your mommy didn't you sweetie?" Flora whispered softly as she carried Sierra over to her crib. She softly kissed the now sleeping infant and gently placed her into the crib. "Good night sweet pea, sleep well."

"Sorry it was so difficult for you, but thanks for watching her," Jack said as he walked Muffy and Rock to the door. "Sorry she wasn't very cooperative, but maybe next time she will be."

"Ah…, there won't be a next time!" Rock screamed and ran outside and away from the farmhouse with his hands flailing in the air.

"Good night Jack; tell Flora good night for us," Muffy chirped in her normal bubbly voice before heading off to catch up to her boyfriend.

After waving good-bye and closing the door, Jack walked over and joined Flora, who was standing next to Sierra's crib looking in on the now sleeping child.

"She's such a sweet girl, just like her mommy."

"You're right about that," Flora giggled before heading into the bedroom. Jack followed her inside and watched as she changed into her nightgown. She then climbed into the bed and after adjusting the front of her nightgown to expose a portion of her ample breasts she winked at her husband slyly. "I'm lonely, who's going to keep me company?" she teased playfully.

A grin crossed Jack's face as he joined his wife and pulled the covers up over them.

**XXX**

It was difficult for her to run in heels but Muffy was finally able to catch up with Rock on the beach. Out of breath the blond barmaid approached her boyfriend. "Hey Rock… why did you run off like that without saying good-bye?" she gasped.

"I… I don't know. I just had to clear my head I guess."

After giving Muffy a chance to catch her breath, she and Rock walk along the soft sands of the moonlit beach for a little bit before Muffy turned to Rock.

"You know what Rock? I'm really happy that I decided to come here to the valley instead of staying in the city." She paused a moment and wrapped her arms around Rock's waist and gazed deeply into his deep blue eyes. "Because if I'd stayed there in the city… I would have never met…, you."

Rock was momentarily shocked by his girlfriend's words. But he recovered quickly and smiled back at her. "I… I'm glad you did come and I'm glad that I met you too," he whispered softly. "I… I… I love you Muffy."

Muffy smiled happily. "I love you to Rock," the bubbly barmaid cooed happily as she pulled the young man in front of her close.

They quickly closed the distance between them and their lips joined in a sweet momentary first kiss.

"Come on, let's go home and get some sleep. It's been a long night," Muffy giggled after the kiss ended.

"It sure has been! I didn't think that I was going to survive the night," Rock agreed rubbing his still throbbing head.

_And so another chapter ends! Well what did you think of it? I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope everyone enjoys reading it. As always please take a moment and leave me your feedback in a review. Thanks! Till the next chapter, Ja ne! _


	15. A New Generation Begins

_Time once again to thank my wonderful reviewers. __**Pause11, pink-kiss-candy, fuzzi fox, roxas-kh, **__and __**Moonlit Dreaming. **__I really do appreciate all your comments and suggestions. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave them. You guys are awesome!_

_**Disclaimer: **__Natsume owns Harvest Moon, not me. I do however own Katrina, Robert, and Alex._

_Thanks again Momo-chan! _

_This chapter is dedicated to my writing partner Prince! Nyaa, Nyaa! _

_**Chapter 15: A New Generation Begins**_

_Time seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye._

_Before we know it things change and the course of our lives altered. As we grow older we tend to look back and wonder just were the time went. We look at the rapidly approaching future and wonder just what uncertainty it holds for us._

_-Recap-_

_Eighteen years have passed since Jack and Flora welcomed their daughter Sierra into their family and many things have changed throughout Forget Me Not Valley during that passage of time._

_With Flora's help Jack was able to turn Pallet Farm around. Through their hard work and dedication what was a wasted remnant of a farm was transforming into a thriving family run operation. What had once been a source for criticism and considered an eyesore among the valley's residents was now the envy of all that passed by._

_Sierra was now a feisty and strong willed eighteen year old woman. She had inherited her mother's sandy blond locks which she usually wore in a loose mid back length ponytail. She stood slightly taller than her mother, but was still shorter than her father. She was usually seen wearing light colored tee shirts and overalls. In colder weather she traded the tee shirts for patterned flannel shirts. Sierra loved her life on the farm and looked forward to being able to take over its operation when her parents retired. She was particularly good with the farm's many animals. And while it's not her favorite task, she does well at caring for the many seasonal crops planted on their farm. _

_Sierra wasn't alone growing up in Forget Me Not Valley._

_Three seasons after they proclaimed their love for each other that night on the beach Muffy and Rock became husband and wife. Just two seasons later they welcomed a daughter into their lives. She was named Katrina after Muffy's grandmother._

_Muffy and Rock now passed each day together by running the Blue Bar. Muffy assumed its operation four years ago when Griffin suffered a debilitating stroke. Though it had not cost him his life, it did cause him to lose some of his motor skills. This had rendered him incapable of continuing the bars operation. Fortunately over the years he had taught Muffy the ins and outs of the taverns operation. Rock's life at the Inner Inn also aided in the transition. Nowadays Griffin was fully retired and he spent most of his time with Gustafa playing guitar and relaxing on the shores of the Turtle Pond._

_Katrina is seventeen and she is Sierra's best friend. Sierra has known Katrina since she was just four months old. She had wavy dark blond hair, which she inherited from her father. She had her mother's bubbly and hyper personality and she's usually seen wearing some kind of a skirt and blouse combination. She doesn't like to wear fancy clothes, instead preferring to dress casually._

_Katrina fears most animals and really doesn't like to visit her best friend's farm unless she's able to go directly to the house. She was notorious for coming up with crazy oddball schemes, many of which fail horribly, often landing both her and Sierra in hot water. Though she fails often, she means well and cares greatly for her family and friends._

_Families also grew in Mineral Town as well._

_After their marriage Mary and Gray were blessed with a baby boy whom they named Robert. Now eighteen, he lives with his family in Mineral Town and sees Sierra and Katrina whenever they visit Mineral Town or when he visits the valley._

_He was quite intelligent and often can be found helping his mother in the Reading Tower. When first meeting him one might get the impression that he was cold and un-feeling. However, once he gets to know someone he quickly warms up and becomes quite open and friendly. He has his father's orange hair and his mother's deep brown eyes. Like his father, he is never seen without his trademark baseball cap affixed atop his head. In Robert's case it's a blue Cubs baseball cap that he picked up while visiting Gray's family back in the city._

_He gets along well with both Sierra and Katrina; there are even hints that he may have a small crush on Katrina, but it's nothing serious, for now at least._

_Ann and Cliff were married a year after Mary and Gray tied the knot. The following spring they welcomed a happy healthy baby boy into their family._

_Now at the age of seventeen Alex has just recently moved to Forget Me Not Valley to study medicine under the guidance of Dr. Hardy. He lives at the Inn, working part time there when Ruby needs help._

_Alex inherited Cliff's dark brown hair, but it was also highlighted with Ann's light orange hair giving him an interesting mix of color. He has dark brown eyes and is somewhat shy when you first meet him. But like Robert, once he gets comfortable around someone can be very outgoing and hyper! He prefers to wear jeans and loose fitting tee shirts. However, when he is with Dr. Hardy he usually wears a pair of nice pants and a buttoned shirt._

_Sierra has a huge crush on him and Katrina is always scheming to try and get them together, but her attempts almost always seem to turn out badly, at least for Sierra that is._

**XXX**

Dark leaden rain clouds covered the sky over Forget Me Not Valley as its residents made their way to the church in nearby Mineral Town. They were making the trek in the cold drizzling rain to bid farewell to one of the areas long time residents, Professor Alvin Carter.

The archeologist had recently contracted pneumonia and the illness had taken a lot out of him. By the time Flora and Jack had found him and he was admitted to the clinic his condition was already grave. His lungs had filled with fluid and a raging fever was quickly sapping the life from him. In spite of Dr. Hardy's most valiant attempts to treat the infection raging throughout his body, he succumbed to the illness. He had passed away just two days prior to this at the age of fifty seven.

Jack held Flora tightly as they stood in front of the flower laden coffin containing their longtime friend.

"I still can't believe that he's really gone," Flora said softly as tears ran down from her violet eyes. She turned away from the coffin and placed her head against Jack's shoulder. "I'm really going to miss him," she added before beginning to cry once more.

After a few more minutes of mourning, Jack and Flora walked back over to the pew where Sierra was seated. Sitting next to their daughter was her best friend Katrina. Jack took a seat next to his daughter and Flora joined him on his other side.

After her dad sat down Sierra leaned over and whispered. "Um dad, is mom going to be alright? She's been so out of it since Professor Carter died."

"Don't worry sweetie, she'll be alright. This has just been a really difficult time for her. Professor Carter was a longtime friend and your mom will miss him." Jack answered calmly. "We'll just have to give her some extra love that's all."

Sierra smiled back at her dad before turning to Katrina. "Hey Kat, where are your mom and dad sitting?"

The blond haired girl turned to her left and pointed to the back of the church where her parents were chatting with Karen and Rick. "They are sitting over there."

Sierra glanced quickly over her shoulder before returning her attention to the podium in front of her where Pastor Carter was preparing to begin the service. She glanced around and watched as people made their way quietly back to their places. Sierra tried to adjust her position on the uncomfortable hard wooden church pew. She hated being in the church. Though she did believe in the existence of the Goddess of the Harvest, something about a church always made her feel uncomfortable. "Thank you for sitting with me Kat, I feel a little better because of that."

Katrina smiled back at her friend. "Sure thing Sierra, it's no problem at all. I'm not a big fan of churches either."

The Priest stood silently behind the pulpit until everyone had taken their seats and it was quiet before beginning. Once he was satisfied that everyone had settled down he opened a well worn leather bound book on the podium before him and began to read from it.

"Today we gather here to bid farewell to a long time and dearly beloved friend…"

Sierra tried her best to focus on what the Priest was saying but in spite of her best effort, her mind still wandered. She found herself thinking about a certain brown haired medical student. _"I wonder if Alex made it here today,"_ she mused softly to herself.

The sounds of her mother's soft sobs brought Sierra back into the present. She looked over and noticed that her mother was gently wiping her tear stained eyes. _"I guess he really did mean a lot to mom."_

**XXX**

The church service lasted for about thirty minutes. Once Pastor Carter had finished his sermon Jack, Rock, Cliff and Hugh carry the Professor's casket out into the cemetery and placed the casket gently into the ground. Pastor Carter waited a moment for everyone to gather outside before saying another brief prayer, ending the service. Once he was done the valley's residents began to file past the grave to pay their final respects.

Flora and Jack were the first ones to pay their final respects to their friend and afterwords they remained at the graveside and thanked everyone for attending. Once the final person had passed by and departed the cemetery they thanked Carter and begin to head back towards the valley. Sierra caught up to them a few minutes later.

"If you don't mind I'm going to go over to Kat's house for a little while when we get back to the valley."

"That's fine sweetie, but be home for dinner," Jack answered.

"Come on dad, quit calling me sweetie, I'm eighteen now and not your little girl anymore," Sierra pouted playfully.

"Sierra my sweet, you'll always be my little girl," Jack teased back causing his daughter to glare back at him.

"Well whatever. I'm off to find Kat, I'll see you later!"

Jack watched as his daughter runs off to find her friend.

"She really has grown up hasn't she?" Flora spoke softly. "Pretty soon she'll be looking to get married."

"Hey don't rush things Flora!" Jack answered back. "She doesn't even have a boyfriend yet."

"I'm not so sure about that Jack," Flora laughed. "I think she might be interested in Alex."

"You mean Ann and Cliff's boy?"

"Yes I do. Just the other day I saw them together over by the Goddess Pond and…, well…, let's just say it reminded me of us when we were dating."

Jack chuckled lightly at his wife's comment as he thought back to the time when he first started dating his wife. Now it seemed that his daughter was doing the same thing. But to be honest that thought seemed a bit unsettling to the farmer!

"Come on Flora, let's get back to the farm and I'll make us something nice for dinner."

"Thank you Jack, after everything that's happened today I really could use some nice comfort food," Flora replied, sounding somewhat more upbeat.

_And so another chapter comes to a conclusion. It's kind of short I know, but it's more of a recap and I figured that it was a good way to advance the story into the future. _


	16. Surf, Sun, and Fun

_Thank you, __**Moonlit Dreaming, Pause 11, roxas-kh, **__and __**Momo-chan12. **__I'm so happy that you liked the previous chapter and that you've stuck with me! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. _

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Harvest Moon. Surprised? Really, nah, you weren't! _

_**Chapter 16: Surf, Sun, and Fun! **_

The day broke as it normally did on Pallet Farm, with the crowing of its roosters.

Sierra was already up, dressed and out in the barn doing her morning chores by the time they began their morning concert. Once she had those completed the blonde haired girl headed into the farmhouse to eat breakfast.

"Good morning mom!" she chirped happily as she took her place at the table.

"Good morning sweetie. What would you like for breakfast?" Flora questioned curiously. "I have some hard boiled eggs ready."

The young farm girl sighed and wiped her brow with a napkin. "Thanks mom, but to be honest, I'm really not that hungry this morning. I'll just have a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice."

Flora nodded. "Alright, well you know where that stuff is, so help yourself. I'm going to start the wash before it gets too hot."

"Sure mom, no problem," Sierra answered as she headed over to the cabinet to get the box of cereal out. "Um, where's dad this morning?"

"He left early this morning to go to Mineral Town. He had to make a special delivery to Doug's Inn. It seems that they are hosting some kind of a special party and needed some fresh produce. He should be back later this morning or in the early afternoon."

Sierra poured herself some cereal and then set the box on the table. She then picked up the bottle of ice cold milk and added it to the cereal. She watched for a moment as her mom went about gathering all the dirty clothes before picking up her spoon and starting to eat.

After finishing her breakfast and cleaning her mess, the young blond haired teenager walked out of the house and into the already oppressive heat of mid morning. She took a moment before heading towards the barn to tend to the families animals.

As she trudged in the direction of the bright red structure, she paused and looked up at the cloudless bright blue sky above her and shaded her soft violet eyes against the intense sunlight. _"Wow, it's going to be another hot one today." _

Arriving at the barn it took Sierra a bit of effort but she managed to slide the two large wooden door open. Inside she headed over to their cows. The large black and white bovines saw her coming and mooed happily in anticipation of their morning meal.

"Good morning girls," she greeted happily. "Is it warm enough for you today?" The cows simply mooed back at her.

Sierra headed over to a light brown colored cabinet near the far end of the barn. Opening the door she reached inside and removed a well worn cow brush. After closing the cabinet's door she returned to the cow pens and opened the nearest pen door. It belonged to a marbled five year old cow that she'd named Annie. Sierra opened the door and carefully approached the large animal. "You're looking good today Annie!" she chirped as she began to groom the gentle animal using long but firm strokes. Annie's contented moos let her know that her work is greatly appreciated.

After making sure that all the tangles had been removed from her coat, Sierra hooked up the milking machine and brushed the bovine a little more while the milking machine did its job.

With Annie finished she moved to the next pen which housed Ariel, the eldest of their three cows. Sierra repeated the process of brushing and milking with Ariel. Afterwards she made sure that all their feed bins were filled with fresh fodder and freshened up the water in her large wooden drinking trough. Lastly she approached Daisy's pen. At just two years old she was the youngest of Pallet Farm's cows. The young animal approached Sierra and nuzzled her welcoming her teenaged caretaker happily.

"Wow Daisy, for it being so hot, you sure seem happy today," Sierra remarked as she took the brush out and proceeded to groom the black and white animal lovingly.

Daisy mooed happily as her coat was tended to. The milking machine was connected and the farm girl continued to brush the medium sized bovine as it went about the process of removing the milk form Daisy's udder.

Once the machine had completed the task, Sierra removed the small, but good quality milk and took it over to the shipping container. She carefully placed the canister inside and then returned to the other two pens and picked up the two large milk containers and placed them into the shipping bin as well. She double checked everything, making sure that fresh fodder has been added to each animal and that their water troughs were full.

Sierra completed her chores by tending to the farms two sheep, Luna and Sola. Before heading out of the barn she stopped and turned on the switch that controlled the two large overhead fans used to circulate the air inside the barn. She then pulled the door closed and walked in direction of the chicken coops to collect the eggs.

Half way there a friendly voice caught her ear. Stopping she turned and looked in the direction the voice came from and there stood Katrina waving to her from the farms gate. Smiling Sierra headed towards her friend.

"Hey Kat, what are you doing here so early?" Sierra asked curiously noting that Katrina was rarely seen around town much before noon.

"Well, you know how it's been so hot for the past few days," she began. "Well, I was thinking that instead of working today, we could go to the beach and have a picnic."

Sierra nodded. "That sounds like a lot of fun Kat, but before I go I need to finish my chores."

"That's alright. I figure I can meet you back here around eleven o'clock and we could go then. In the meantime I'll pick some sandwiches and snacks from the inn."

"That sounds like a good plan to me. If you are bringing the sandwiches then I'll bring some drinks for us. See you around eleven!"

"Sounds like the perfect plan! Oh Sierra, be sure to wear that new swimsuit of yours, because you never know, Alex just might decide to visit the beach too." Katrina giggled slyly before turning and heading back down the path towards town.

"Umm… yeah sure Kat," Sierra gulped as she watched her friend depart.

Once Katrina was out of sight Sierra turned away from the gate and headed back towards the chicken coop. It took her just about an hour to remove the eggs and to care and feed their birds. Her chores now complete the blond haired girl headed back to the house to relax a little before getting ready for a relaxing day at the beach.

**XXX**

It had taken some time, but Sierra was finally finished. But she knew she couldn't just go to the beach right away. She headed inside the house and called, "Hey mom, I'm all done with my chores, do you mind if I go to the beach this afternoon with Katrina?"

"As long as you are done with all your chores I don't see a reason why not," Flora replied.

"Everything's all taken care of and the animals have been fed and watered. I even made sure that the fans were on in the barn."

"Then it's alright with me. In fact since it's supposed to be another hot day your father and I just might do the same thing once he gets back home."

Sierra rolled her violet eyes in apparent frustration at the thought of her parents ruining her day at the beach. "Um, don't you and dad have some farm related things to do instead?"

"Oh I'm sure we do sweetie, but just like you and your friends we don't want to be doing them in this awful heat. No, I think a day of relaxation would better suit us," Flora answered plainly as she looks over at her teenaged daughter. "Don't worry honey; we'll stay away from you and your friends. We were your age once and know how 'uncool' it would be to have your parents hanging around."

Sierra gave her mom a smile before heading off to her room to get ready. Flora smiled as well as she watched her daughter exit the room. Once Sierra was gone, she then returned to her housework.

In her room Sierra flopped down on her bed. She remained there for a few minutes before pushing herself back up and walking over to her large oak dresser. She opened the top drawer and removed her new swimsuit, a lacy baby blue bikini. "I really can't believe I let Katrina talk me into buying this," she sighed softly, holding the suit up to herself. "It's so tiny."

The teen placed the suit down on her bed and returned to her dresser. This time she removed a pair of blue jean cut-offs and a pink colored tee shirt that had a red heart in the upper right corner. Placing them on the bed next to her swimsuit, Sierra then removed her clothes and after putting on her robe, she quickly headed down the hallway to the bathroom to take a shower.

Once she was done with the shower, Sierra headed back to her room and put her swimsuit on. Steeping over to the mirror she sighs softly at just how revealing the bikini is, especially around her breasts. She could feel her cheeks warm as she thought about what Alex would think after seeing her in the suit. She paused for a few moments more and then moves over to her bed and puts on her shorts and tee-shirt.

**XXX**

Out in the living room Flora took a seat on the couch to relax with a nice cool glass of iced tea. As she sips the cool liquid she can't help but think about just how much has changed in the past few years. In her mind, Sierra had grown into a teenager seemingly overnight.

Flora placed cool glass to her lips and took another refreshing sip. She then places the beverage down on the light brown wooden table in front of her. Picking up the newspaper, she flipped it over to the funny pages. She is about to read when Sierra entered the room.

"Hey mom is it alright if I grab a couple of bottles of juice to take with me to the beach? I told Kat that I would bring drinks."

Flora gazed back at her daughter. "Sure I don't mind. I think we have apple and orange juice in the fridge."

"Thanks mom," the blond teen replied before removing two large glass bottles, one containing apple juice and other orange juice. She put them onto the counter and walked over to a cabinet with white metal doors. Opening the doors and after a bit of rummaging around Sierra removed a red and white plastic cooler. Sierra then took the bottles and placed them into the cooler. After adding a generous portion of ice cubes, she closed and latched the lid.

After grabbing her bag and the cooler, Sierra headed towards the door. "Bye mom, see you later!"

"Bye sweetie, have fun!" Flora replied as she watched her daughter leave.

Sierra headed out the gate of her family's farm and in the direction of the beach. Because it was so hot, it took her almost twenty minutes to arrive at the ocean shoreline. As she did so she scanned the white sandy shore for any sign of her friends.

"Hey Sierra, we're over here!" a voice shouted from across the beach.

Of course she immediately recognized the shout as that of her friend Katrina. She looked over in the direction of her voice and saw her clad in a black one piece swimsuit that has a rainbow going from her left leg up to under her right arm. Along with her was Robert who was wearing a pair of baggy red surfer shorts. Next to him was Alex who is also wearing baggy surfer shorts; however his are a bluish green in color. They were sitting together on a large red and white checked blanket and Katrina was leaning back under a large blue umbrella.

Smiling Sierra walked over and joined them, placing her bag and the cooler on the edge of the blanket. "If you need to change into your bathing suit, the changing rooms are over there." Katrina said as she pointed towards a set of concrete buildings at the far edge of the beach.

"Thanks, but I have my suit on under my clothes," Sierra replied as she tentatively removed her tee shirt and shorts and took a seat next to a brightly blushing Alex.

"Oh my Sierra, you look so cute in that bikini!" Katrina squealed happily. "It fits your figure perfectly, don't you agree Alex?"

Alex turned beet red in an instant. "Um…, yeah you do look good Sierra," he stammered nervously.

"Say Robbie, can you do me a favor?" Katrina asked innocently.

"Uh yeah sure Kat, what do you need?" he replied, his voice shaking slightly.

Katrina rummaged around in her bag and removed a bottle of sun block. "Would you be a dear and put some sun block on my back for me?" she chirped handing him the bottle.

"Um… yeah sure Kat, I can do that for you," he responded. Nervously the young man applied the lotion to Katrina's back. He then handed the bottle to Alex.

"Hey Alex, I think Sierra might need some lotion as well, you don't want her to get a painful sunburn now do you?" he said with a sly smirk on his face.

"Yeah um…, I don't want her to get sunburned. Alright I can do that," he responded and accepted the bottle of lotion from Robert. As the other boy had done, he squirted some of the lotion into the palm of his hand, and applied it to Sierra's back.

"Now that everyone is all protected from the harmful effects of the sun, let's hit the water!" Robert announced as he stood up. "Last one in is a rotten egg!"

With that announcement everyone got up and sprinted towards the cool azure waters of the ocean. And for the next hour and a half they toss around a beach ball, swam and enjoy the oceans cool waters.

"I'm hungry, let's eat our lunch." Katrina pouted, grabbing Robert's hand and pulling him back towards their picnic spot.

Sierra shrugged her slender shoulders and looked over at Alex."Well, I guess we're eating now."

"Yeah, it sure looks that way. Once Kat puts her mind to something there is no changing it," Alex added. Together they too exited the ocean and walk over to the shaded blanket. Together they took a seat under the umbrella's cooling shade.

"I have a sandwich and a bag of potato chips for each of us," Katrina explained as she removed the food from her basket. "I have both ham and cheese and salami on rye bread. What would everyone like?"

"I'll take a ham and cheese," Alex replied happily, accepting the sandwich and his bag of chips from Katrina.

"I have some nice cold juice for us to drink," Sierra chirped as she placed the cooler in the center of the blanket. Reaching into her bag and removed four brightly colored plastic cups and hands one to each person.

"Mmm… these sandwiches are really good! Did you make them Kat?" Robert asked between bites.

"Sadly no, I got them from the inn," she answered plainly. "I really wish that I could make sandwiches as well as Ruby does."

"Can you pass me one of those salami sandwiches Kat?" Sierra asked curiously.

"Sure, what some chips as well?" Katrina asked as she handed her best friend the wrapped sandwich.

Sierra nodded. "Do you have barbeque flavor?"

Katrina opened the bag and looked inside. "Hm, no I don't. I only have regular and vinegar and salt flavored chips."

Sierra sighed. "I'll take a bag of the regular flavored chips."

**XXX**

After finishing their afternoon meal, everyone decided to relax for a bit and just do some sunbathing, giving their food some needed time to settle.

"Hey Sierra, isn't that your mom and dad over there?" Alex suddenly asked curiously, pointing to where Jack and Flora were setting up a green umbrella.

Sierra rolled her violet eyes. "Ugh, yes it is." She looked over at her mom and to her surprise she sees that Flora wearing a pastel pink bikini. _"Hmm, mom wears bikinis too. It's not as reveling as mine, but she's old so I guess it will be alright if they see me in mine."_ Sierra watched a little longer but turned her attention back to her friends when she was sure that her parents weren't going to cause a scene.

"Hey, do you guys know what time it is?" Katrina asked curiously. A mischievous smile appeared on her face a moment later.

"Uh oh, I don't like it when Kat gets that look on her face," Alex whispered in a worried tone. "I always know that somehow I'm going to regret what's about to happen."

"Come on, don't be so negative Alex," Robert chirped. "Not all of Kat's plans go badly."

"Thanks for the support Robbie." Katrina bubbled happily. She then reached into her bag and took out a long thin black colored cloth. She also grabbed a plastic baseball bat that was sitting next to her bag. "Robbie, can you be a dear and bring that watermelon out here?" Katrina instructed as she pointed to the sandy area just in front of their blanket.

Robert nodded and leaned over, picking up the plump green watermelon and placing it where Katrina was standing. "What should I do with it now?"

"Just put it down here," she answered, pointing to a spot in the sand just in front of her feet.

Robert did as instructed and gently placed the ripe fruit down at the girl's feet. Katrina grinned and looked over at Sierra and Alex.

"Um, Alex, I need you to come over here and lie down next to the watermelon."

With a confused and a bit of a fearful look on his face, Alex did as requested. "Alright, Sierra I need you and Robbie to come over here and help me to bury Alex in the sand."

Both Sierra and Robert did what was asked and in no time Alex was covered up to his shoulders in the white beach sand.

"So what's up Kat? Why did we bury Alex and why is the watermelon out here?" Sierra questioned curiously pointing to the fruit lying close to her boyfriend's head.

Katrina just giggled. "You'll find out in a minute," she answered as she stepped behind Sierra and used the black cloth to cover the blonde's eyes.

"Hey, what are you doing now Kat? Why have you covered my eyes?"

"I want to have some watermelon and this is the way they open a watermelon in Japan," Katrina squealed happily. "I read it in one of my manga books and thought it might be fun for us to try it."

"So what happens now? Does Sierra have to use the bat to break open the watermelon?" Robert inquired curiously. "What if she accidently hits Alex in the process?"

"Well, she'll just have to be careful that's all," Katrina replied. "Alright Sierra, you get three swings to try and crack it open. But first, I need to spin you around a little."

Robert watched as Katrina spun Sierra around and around. "What if she can't get it open in three swings? What happens then?"

"If she can't get it open then you get a try. And if you can't do it then it's my turn," Katrina replied. "Alright Sierra you're up! Start swinging!"

The blond haired farm girl's first attempt results in the end of the bat hitting the sand a mere two inches from the side of her boyfriend's head. "Hey, be careful Sierra! That was almost my head!" he cried out loudly, a worried look plastered on his face. "Do I look like a watermelon to you?"

"Um…, sorry Alex, but I can't see and I'm rather disoriented from being spun around." Sierra replied sheepishly.

Her next swing ended up way off target, but using her boyfriend's guidance she was able to land her final hit directly on the melon, causing it to begin to crack.

"Nice job Sierra! Alright Robbie, it's your turn next," Katrina chimed as she removed the blindfold from Sierra and replaced it on Robert.

His attempts went a bit better, with him scoring two direct hits and only one near miss of Alex's head.

"It's your turn now Kat," Sierra said as she removed the blindfold from Robert's head and tied it snugly over Katrina's eyes. "It's almost open… one or two more hits should do it," she added playfully.

Once the blindfold was in place Sierra gave Katrina a couple of spins and she took her first swing.

"Be careful Katrina that was almost my head!" Alex gasped as the tip of the bat impacted just to the right of his head.

"Yeah, yeah, don't be such a worrywart Alex; I'll get it this time," Katrina retorted.

"That's what I'm worried about. Just make sure that it's the watermelon you hit and not my head!" he added in a very nervous voice.

Fortunately for him Katrina's next swing found its mark and succeeded in splitting the watermelon in to two halves.

"Nice work Kat, you broke it open!" Robert chirped happily as he helped Sierra remove the blindfold.

After taking a few minutes to help dig Alex out of the sand, they reconvened on the beach blanket and watch as Katrina and Sierra cut the halves of the sweet refreshing watermelon into bite sized slices.

"Mmm… there is nothing like watermelon on a hot day," Robert said as Sierra handed him a dripping slice.

Ale grunted a reply as red watermelon juice trickling down either side of his cheeks.

"I agree. No matter how hot it is out, you just have to eat some watermelon and you feel cool and refreshed," Sierra sighed happily as she took another bit of the melon.

**XXX**

The sun began to set on the valley spreading hues of dark orange and red across the sky as Alex and Robert set about the task of gathering firewood for use in a bonfire. It took the two teenagers about forty five minutes to gather and stack the wood into the shape of a pyramid.

Robert then leaned forward and for the next five minutes attempted to get the fire going. But unfortunately for him he seemed to be having a bit of trouble getting the wood to light.

"Hey Rob, when are you going to quit sending smoke signals and get the fire going?" Sierra quipped. "Um, not to sound mean or anything, but you've been at it for almost a half an hour now."

Robert looked up from the now smoldering pile of twigs and branches and stuck his tongue out at the blond farm girl. "Don't get your undies in a bunch; I'll have it going in a couple of minutes!"

"Really… you said that almost twenty minutes ago," Alex retorted plainly. "The sun is setting fast and it will be dark before to long."

Fortunately for Robert, his efforts finally paid off as a small flame began to move its way up the pile of twigs igniting the larger logs piled on top. "See all you non believers, I told you I'd get it lit," he boosted triumphantly.

"I knew you could do it Robbie!" Katrina chimed happily wrapping her arms around him. Robert blushed furiously as he felt his girlfriend pull herself close to him.

As the sun finally descended below the distant and night fell over Forget Me Not Valley Sierra and her friends enjoyed the warm radiant glow of the bonfire. They toasted marshmallows and Alex even tried to scare everyone with one of his so-called spooky ghost stories. As the evening continued, the teens sat around the fire and chatted about this and that.

**XXX**

Sierra stretched out her arms and yawned. "What time is it Alex?"

Alex looked down at his watch."It's just before ten o'clock. I think we should bring the festivities to an end. After all, whether we like it or not, we all need to get up early in the morning."

"I agree, it is getting late," Robert added. "But I must say, it was a really good time."

Alex stood up and before anyone could protest or stop him grabbed a bucket full of water and emptied it on the fire. As the still hot wood sizzled and crackled, a sad look appeared on Robert's face as the last of the dying embers are extinguished in the water. "Did you have to do that?" he asked sounding a bit hurt.

"Did I have to do what? All I did was put out the fire."

"Yeah, but that was the fire that I worked so hard to make," he retorted. "You could have at least let me be the one to put it out."

"Hey sorry about that, maybe next time I'll let you put it out, alright?" Alex responded.

The hurt look on Robert's face softened at the idea that he would be the one to put out the next bonfire.

Alex turned his attention to the blond standing next to him."Would you like me to walk you home Sierra?"

"Yes, that would be very nice of you." Sierra replied with a smile.

After making sure that the fire had been completely extinguished and that everything had been picked up and put away, Robert and Katrina bid Alex and Sierra a happy good bye and headed back to the inn where Robert would be staying the night.

Alex took hold of Sierra's hand interlocking his fingers with hers as they walked back towards Pallet Farm.

"The stars are really bright tonight," Sierra cooed softly as she gazed up at the twinkling lights over their heads.

"They are very pretty," Alex agreed. "But they are not as pretty as you."

Sierra blushed slightly and smiled back at him. "Thank you Alex, that's sweet of you to say."

It took them fifteen minutes to make the trip from the beach to the gate of Sierra's family's farm.

"Good night Alex, I had a great time with you today," Sierra giggled happily.

"So did I Sierra," he replied beginning to lean forward towards the blond haired girl standing in front of him.

Sierra smiled at his advance and leaned in to meet his lips halfway. The kiss was sweet and lasted for several moments. Finally Sierra broke away from her boyfriend and turned to the gate. "Sweet dreams Alex," she cooed, giving the young man a wave. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Sleep well Sierra," Alex said returning his girlfriend's wave. He watched as Sierra made her way to the farmhouse before turning and heading down the dark pathway towards home.

As Sierra approached the farmhouse she noticed that the lights in the living room were still on. _"Hmm.., it looks like mom or dad might still be awake."_

Opening the door Sierra walked inside and looked around, finding Flora sitting at the table reading a book. Her mother looked up from the book and smiled. "So, did you have fun with your friends today?"

Sierra blushed slightly and returned her mother's smile. "Yeah, we had a great time!"

"That's good to hear. I remember when your father and I used to do things like that," she added with a sigh. "Ah, but that seems like it was so long ago."

"Um, that's because it was a long time ago," Sierra teased back earning a playful swat from her mother. "Good night mom, see you in the morning!"

"Good night sweetie, sweet dreams!" Flora said as she watched her daughter turn the corner and disappear into her room.

Flora picked up a blue bookmark and placed it the book and closes it. She then set the book down on the table and walked towards her bedroom. Knowing that her daughter was safe and sound in her bedroom the elder blonde could go now to bed and easily fall asleep.


End file.
